Strategic innovation in the classical banking system

Concept Note: How are Paytm payments bank & other "neo" banks disrupting the classical banking system. Since these new age banks don’t need physical branches and therefore the fixed capital investment along with that how do they differ from the classical banking system. Apple recently launched their savings account with 4.15% interest. The company being cash rich and in an entirely different line of business how they can invest differently. Their asset liability matching and risk management methodology can differ and be safer. ALM is what led to the collapse of SVB and a lot of other banks in the past. It can also include digital currency and UPI. UPI is being adopted by a lot of countries which is allowing for transfers of money across borders at much cheaper exchange rates and more easily compared to the old methods of SWIFT transactions. This UPI adoption is eating away at the profits from the FX departments of banks as well as undermining the importance of banks in cross border transactions. New fintech companies are also coming up in this space. Also, UPI adoption is bringing new capital inflows into the country so the conversation can also shift to macroeconomic overview

Tech-Tonic Shift - The Future of Supply Chain

Concept Note: The supply chain industry is on the cusp of a major transformation, driven by the rapid advancement of technology. From blockchain to robotics, emerging technologies are changing the way businesses manage their supply chains, increasing efficiency, reducing costs, and improving sustainability. In this panel discussion, we will explore the future of supply chain and discuss how businesses can prepare for the next wave of technological disruption.

The objective of this panel discussion is to examine the future of supply chain and to discuss how emerging technologies will shape the industry in the coming years. We will explore the latest trends and developments in technology for supply chain, and discuss case studies of successful implementation of these technologies.

Navigating the changing landscape of talent management

Concept Note: The Age of Disruption is an era characterised by rapid technological and social changes that are significantly transforming the way people work, live and interact. As such, talent management has become vital in meeting the ever increasing technological demands. Rapid and unpredictable change brings significant challenges to the domain of talent management. Organisations must be able to adapt fast in order to keep abreast with the changes that are accelerating. In essence, talent management plays a crucial role in building an organisation’s capacity to navigate the ever-changing landscape of the modern world. The discussion would focus on how organisations are addressing these challenges by focusing on identifying, developing and retaining the talent they need.

Navigating Disruption: Amplifying Marketing Reach and Engagement

Concept Note: Disruption in the business and marketing landscape has become increasingly prevalent, driven by various factors such as technological advancements, changing consumer preferences, regulatory changes, and the rise of disruptive startups. Traditional marketing channels, including print media, TV advertising, and direct mail, have been significantly impacted by these disruptive forces, as their effectiveness in reaching customers has diminished. The advent of digitalization and technological advancements has played a major role in disrupting these traditional channels, as consumers increasingly turn to online platforms for information and entertainment. Viewership and engagement with traditional advertising platforms have declined due to changing consumer behaviors and preferences, with online research, social media, and peer recommendations now influencing consumer decisions. Modern consumers expect personalized and interactive experiences with brands, further emphasizing the need for new marketing approaches. To meet these expectations and navigate disruption, businesses must embrace digital marketing, content marketing, influencer marketing, and social media engagement to build customer relationships. Data analytics and marketing automation are also crucial in optimizing marketing efforts and delivering personalized experiences. Developing a strong online presence, leveraging social media platforms, targeted advertising, and utilizing email marketing, chatbots, and artificial intelligence are essential strategies for reaching customers in the digital age. In conclusion, disruption has had a profound impact on traditional marketing channels, necessitating the adoption of new approaches to effectively reach customers in an ever-changing landscape.

AI-powered Product Management: Opportunities and Challenges

Concept Note: The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, including big data and machine learning, is a defining element of our times. The rapid evolution of these AI technologies and their potential to significantly shape business products and processes across industries has led companies to realize the inevitable need to embrace and integrate AI into their products and processes. Among the various stakeholders, product managers play a crucial role in utilizing AI within organizations.

This panel discussion will curate an engaging conversation among product managers at the intersection of AI and product management. We will explore the opportunities and challenges associated with embedding AI into products and adopting AI in product management processes. Specifically, we will address questions such as: How do AI product managers differ from traditional product managers? Will all product managers eventually become AI product managers? How does AI transform the product management process?

Every product originates from customer insights. How does AI shape the collection and analysis of customer data and insights? How do product managers strike a balance between the role of AI and human intuition in mining customer insights and making critical product management decisions? Does the role of AI differ at different stages of a product's life cycle?

We will also delve into the key challenges faced by product managers when using AI and how they tackle them. How does one engage with challenges such as algorithmic bias, data security, user privacy, and other ethical concerns that arise during the use of AI? What are the additional challenges that traditional companies face while embracing AI for their legacy products? What should a traditional product manager do to become an AI product manager? Additionally, we will explore what traditional product managers can do to transition into AI product managers."

Strategic Leadership in an Age of Disruption

Concept Note: We live in a world of shortening product life cycles, digitalization of firm value chains and digital transformation of customer purchase journey and experience. Sustainable value creation is increasingly becoming a challenge in many industries as incumbents with legacy investments battle asset-light and nimble-footed startups, deal with rivals adopting transformative business models and try to keep pace with ever-changing consumer behaviour patterns. Competing in such an environment requires leadership that can spot early signs of disruption, shape strategic renewal to ride the wave of change and prepare the organization for successfully navigating this change.

Leading with purpose

Concept Note:

What does an organization exist for? What do its members want? ‘What’s in it for me’ is the pertinent question that most organizational members in times of change. For an emerging economy like India, when the world sees us as the growth partner, environmental factors – for instance, technological innovations, economic developments, structural adjustments, competition, policy reforms, and changing consumer behaviors – require modern-day organizations to habitually innovate. In the spree to keep up with the required growth pace, some organizations outperform their peers by investing in the learning needs of their emerging business leaders. The successful companies weren’t so because they could address their shareholder agenda (solely); instead, they achieved so by building purpose-driven enterprises. Believing that ‘purpose’ is a soft and intangible aspect would be outdated. It does affect performance. On similar lines, as purported in the book ‘Deep Purpose’ (Gulati, 2022), this (panel) discussion would focus on ‘how leaders resist the siren’s song of a short-term, performance-at-all-costs mentality and instead create an upward spiral of performance inspired by purpose.’