B-schools must embrace AI, exhorts AICTE Chairman Dr TG Sitaram at 15th Indian Management Conclave attended by 250 academic leaders

Addressing the inaugural session of IMC 2025, Dr Sitharam said, “Artificial intelligence is a powerful transformative technology that is reshaping the world of business and impacting society. Higher education institutions, particularly the B-schools, must embrace AI to improve their outcomes.” Recognizing the crucial role of educators, Dr Sitharam “Our faculty need to be trained not only in teaching AI but also in adapting to how AI is changing the learning environment. We need to evolve the way we frame questions and evaluate learning.” He also highlighted various initiatives taken at AICTE to facilitate the adoption of AI in higher education institutions. 

Dr Sitharam complimented Indian Management Conclave for its theme and depth of discussions. “I compliment Mr Amit Agnihotri, Founder & Chair of IMC for selecting a very timely theme of AI and its impact on management education. I am attending the IMC Conclave for the third consecutive year and I value the contributions that IMC is making to management education in India.”

During the day one of the Conclave, academic leaders from top IIMs, IIFT, ISB, IITs, XLRI, SPJIMR, MDI and other leading B-schools deliberated on the theme - Leveraging AI in Business and B-Schools. They said that the theme of IMC is aligned with the evolving needs of business and management education. 

Speaking on the inaugural session, Mr Amit Agnihotri, Founder & Chair, Indian Management Conclave, said, “We are living in an era where AI is widely recognized as having the potential to fundamentally transform business processes, redefine jobs and competencies, and reshape the landscape of higher education. Management education stands at the frontier of this transition.” 

Welcoming 15th IMC 2025 speakers and delegates at the inaugural session, Dr Rakesh Mohan Joshi, Vice Chancellor, IIFT New Delhi, said, “I am happy to welcome you to the 15th Indian Management Conclave. It is a matter of great pride for IIFT to host this prestigious conclave.” He further said, “The theme of IMC 2025 is both timely and relevant. Artificial Intelligence is no longer an emerging area but a transformative force reshaping business, the economy, and society.”

15th IMC 2025 - Day 1 Highlights 
1. INAUGURAL SESSION on Leveraging Artificial Intelligence in Management Education 
The inaugural session of IMC 2025 set the agenda for the Conclave with perspectives from policy makers and academic leaders. Speakers highlighted how AI is impacting business schools, influencing curriculum, pedagogy and research practices.
Apart from Mr Amit Agnihotri, Dr Rakesh Mohan Joshi, Vice Chancellor, IIFT New Delhi and Guest of Honour & Inaugural Speaker Dr. T. G. Sitharam, Chairman, AICTE, the session saw speeches by Dr Geoff Perry, EVP & Chief Officer, Asia Pacific, Americas, and Membership, AACSB International and    Prof Eloise Phillips, Academic Provost, University of Southampton Delhi. 

2. CXO Session on Leveraging Artificial Intelligence in Business 
This session explored how Indian businesses are adopting artificial intelligence to enhance competitiveness and efficiency. Senior industry leaders discussed the current state of AI adoption across sectors, shared the case studies of digital transformation, and outlined the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. 
The conversation will provide insights into how AI is reshaping business models and decision-making process in corporates. The leaders will also reflect on the implications of these trends for future talent requirements, competencies, and skills.
Speakers included Mr Sandeep Sethi, Managing Director, Deloitte Consulting India; Mr Neetan Chopra, Chief Digital and Information Officer, IndiGo; Mr Soumyadeep Ganguly, Partner, McKinsey & Company; Dr Shakti Goel, Chief Architect and Data Scientist, Yatra.com; and Mr Syed Salman Rabbani, AI & Data Leader. 

3. IMC RESEARCH CONFERENCE Session on Research in the Age of Generative AI
An integral part of the Conclave, IMC Research Conference is dedicated to promoting research in business and management education. This panel discussion hosted distinguished editors to discuss the evolving landscape of research in the age of Generative AI. The discussions highlighted how GenAI tools are reshaping research design, methodology, and publishing, while also addressing critical questions on ethics, originality, and academic rigor. 
Speakers for this session included Dr Arpan Kar, Chair Professor, DMS & School of Artificial Intelligence, IIT Delhi; Dr Debasis Pradhan, Editor, Management and Labour Studies, Journal of XLRI Jamshedpur; Dr Preeti S Rawat, Editor-in-Chief, Business Perspectives and Research, Journal of K J Somaiya Institute of Management; Dr Lakshmi Kumar, Dean, IFMR Graduate School of Business, Krea University and Dr Radhika Shrivastava, President, FIIB New Delhi (Session Moderator).

4. IMC AWARDS 2025 Presentations 
The IMC Awards for Excellence in Management Education are widely recognized as India’s most credible and prestigious awards in the field. Each year, the Awards identify, document, and showcase best practices adopted by business schools in areas of strategic importance. The 2025 Awards highlighted pioneering initiatives by Indian B-schools in integrating AI into curriculum, pedagogy, and academic processes. The evaluation for IMC Awards 2025 was conducted by an eminent jury comprising senior management educators and subject experts.
Following institutional leaders made the presentations for IMC Awards 2025:

• BITS Pilani: Dr Krishnamurthy Bindumadhavan, Associate Dean, BITS Pilani
• GIM Goa: Dr P Balasubramanyam, Program Chairperson, PGDM-Big Data Analytics, GIM Goa
• IIM Sambalpur: Dr Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director, IIM Sambalpur
• Jaipuria Institute of Management: Dr Shiva Kakkar, Vice President - AI Adoption, Jaipuria Institute of Management
• LM Thapar School of Management Dera Bassi: Dr Sonia Garg, Head, Associate Dean-Academic Operations, LM Thapar School of Management Dera Bassi
• Symbiosis School of Banking and Finance Pune: Dr Deepa Pillai, Deputy Director, Symbiosis School of Banking and Finance Pune
• TAPMI Bengaluru: Dr Rahul Dighe, Chairperson, MBA Technology Management Program, TAPMI Bengaluru

5. IMC RESEARCH CONFERENCE 2025 Paper Presentations 
Shortlisted from more than 150 submissions, about 45 selected research papers were presented by the Authors. The presentations were organized into five tracks that reflect the core priorities of management education in India today. 
Paper Presentations:
Track 1: AI-Enabled Pedagogy, Learning, and Student Engagement 
Track 2: AI Tools, Analytics, Ethics, and Organizational Applications in Management Education
Track 3: Teaching Methodologies & Pedagogical Innovation in Management Education
Track 4: Academic Processes, Quality & Internationalization of Management Education
Track 5: Competencies, Employability, Career Advancement & Entrepreneurship 
IMC IRC TRACK CHAIRS
Each track was led by distinguished Chairs who provide expert feedback and comments. IMC IRC track chairs are:

1     Dr Sanjay Patro, Dean-Academics, XLRI Jamshedpur
2.    Dr Neena Sondhi, Dean-Research & Accreditations, IMI Delhi
3.    Dr. Praveen Ranjan Srivastava, Dean Research, IIM Rohtak
4.    Dr. OP Wali, Professor, Head (IT & KM Discipline), IIFT New Delhi
5.    Dr. Munish Kumar Thakur, Dean (Academics), XLRI Delhi NCR 
6.    Dr. Ranajoy Bhattacharyya, Professor, IIFT, Kolkata
7.    Dr Rakesh K Singh, Dean, Research and Fellow Program, IMT Ghaziabad
8.    Dr. Jacqueline Symss, Associate Professor, IIFT New Delhi
9.    Dr Preeti S Rawat, Editor-in-Chief, Business Perspectives and Research Journal
10.  Dr. Rajnish Kumar Misra, Dean, JBS, JIIT; For. Faculty, IIM Indore and IIM Kozhikode
11.   Dr Sachin Mangla, Vice-Dean, O. P. Jindal Global University

5. PLENARY SESSION 2 on Leveraging AI in Indian B-Schools
This session showcased how leading Indian business schools are adopting artificial intelligence to transform management education. Academic leaders shared insights on the current state of AI integration in curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, and academic processes. 
Speakers included Dr Varun Nagaraj, Dean, SPJIMR Mumbai; Dr Arvind Sahay, Director, MDI Gurgaon; Mr Shreevats Jaipuria, Vice Chairman, Jaipuria Institute of Management; Dr Chandan Chowdhury, Executive Director & Practice Professor, Indian School of Business (ISB); Dr Nihar Amoncar, Pro Vice-Chancellor & Director, School of Management, IILM University; Dr S Navaneetha Krishnan, Dean, TAPMI Bengaluru and Mr Dviwesh Mehta, Director, Middle East and South Asia at Harvard Business Impact (Session Moderator). 
 Key IMC 2025 Highlights are:
The two-day 15th IMC 2025 at IIFT New Delhi will bring together leaders from policy, business, and academia to deliberate on the theme through following sessions:
•    Keynotes and Plenary Sessions: Addresses by policymakers, corporate leaders, and global AI experts on the transformative role of AI in business and education.  
•    IMC Roundtable: A high-level dialogue among vice chancellors, directors, and deans on embedding AI in Indian B-schools.
•    IMC International Research Conference 2025: Presentation of peer-reviewed research from leading institutions on leveraging AI in MBA curriculum and pedagogy, quality assurance, and competency development.
•    IMC Awards for Excellence in Management Education 2025: Recognition of best practices where Indian B-schools are leveraging AI across curriculum, pedagogy, placements, and administration.

IMC 2025 Partner & Host: IIFT New Delhi 
Established in 2010 and organized annually by MBAUniverse.com in collaboration with India’s leading business schools and knowledge partners, the Indian Management Conclave (IMC) has become the country’s definitive platform on management education. Each year, a premier institution hosts the Conclave, with past editions held at IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, ISB Hyderabad and other top institutions. 

For 15th IMC 2025, the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) New Delhi is the Partner and Host Institution. Established in 1963 as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, IIFT was envisioned to build managerial and policy-making capacity for India’s external trade sector. In 2002, IIFT was conferred the status of a Deemed to be University, enhancing its stature as one of the country’s top B-schools. IIFT has a strong national and international footprint, with campuses in New Delhi, Kolkata, and Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh), and expansion underway with new campuses in Dubai and GIFT City (Gujarat).

The first five editions of IMC were held at the India International Centre (IIC), New Delhi. The 6th IMC, in 2015, marked a new chapter as the first edition hosted by a management institution—Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad. In 2016, IIM Ahmedabad hosted the 7th IMC at its iconic Ravi Mathai Auditorium. The conference moved to South India in 2018 when IIM Bangalore hosted the 9th IMC. To celebrate its 10th anniversary, IMC returned to New Delhi in August 2019, with Hon’ble Former President of India, late Shri Pranab Mukherjee, gracing the occasion as Chief Guest. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 11th edition of IMC was delayed by more than a year. It returned in December 2021, with MDI Gurgaon as the host. IIM Kozhikode hosted the 12th IMC in December 2022. SPJIMR Mumbai hosted the 13th IMC in 2023. XLRI Jamshedpur hosted the 14th IMC in 2024. 
Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for updates on this landmark edition.