JAGSoM Conference to Unite ESG Principles and Indian Knowledge Systems; Spiritual Guru, Global Education Leaders to Address

JAGSoM’s Transformative Journey: Milestones
Before we share the conference highlights, here is a quick overview of JAGSoM’s transformative journey.

• In 2010, BITS Alumni & Tech-entrepreneur Sanjay Padode took over as the Chairman of IFIM Business School, set up in 1995 by his Father late Shri VB Padode, founder of Dalal Street Journal (DSJ) Group.
• In 2018, IFIM Business School became the sixth AACSB Accredited B-school in India after ISB, TAPMI, IIM Calcutta, IMT Ghaziabad and XLRI Jamshedpur.
• On October 21, 2020, IFIM Business School Bangalore got rechristened as JAGSoM Bangalore after globally respected management guru Padma Bhushan Dr. Jagdish Sheth.
• In 2021, QS Masters in Marketing Ranking ranked JAGSoM Bangalore amongst the Top 100 such programs in the world. It continues to feature in this ranking for last many years and it is the only school to have all its programs ranked by QS
• JAGSoM also enjoys partnerships with accredited and highly ranked business schools of repoute such as KEDGE Business School, McCoy School of Business, SUNY (Albany), Georgia State University and many more
• JAGSoM has also launched India’s first three continent Global MBA Program which provides an unique advantage of giving the choice of graduation from all the three major continents of the world namely Asia, America and Europe.
• Prof Jagdish Sheth a highly acclaimed marketing academic who was awarded the Padma Bhushan by our Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs the governing board of the institution and the institution enjoys the patronage of some of the best internationally known academics who are the members of the its governing board and steering the school towards more international fame.
• In February 2022, JAGSoM became one of the first B-schools in India to get Multi-Campus (Bangalore & Mumbai-Karjat) & Multi-Program (BBA, MBA, PGDM, PGDM Executive) Accreditation from AACSB International.
• Today, JAGSoM is positioned as No. 2 Business School in Bangalore, second only to IIM Bangalore. JAGSoM was ranked 26th all India by Business Today Rankings.
• JAGSoM also recently conducted a detailed survey to identify the expectations of the corporate world from MBA graduates in collaboration with National Human Resources Development Network (NHRDN). Basis this survey JAGSoM refreshed its curriculum to align with the current needs of the corporate world.

JAGSoM Sustainability Conference 2026: Theme & Sessions 
According to JAGSoM, the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) represents one of the world’s most ancient and comprehensive traditions of intellectual inquiry, deeply rooted in the cultural, spiritual, and philosophical heritage of India. Being the oldest surviving civilization in the world IKS harbors knowledge which helped the world progress whilst preserving the nature’s balance and JAGSoM is committed to researching this subject to integrate some of the concepts and principles of holistic living with contemporary management to reduce the strife and enhance happiness as we progress towards greater prosperity.  

JAGSoM is now establishing an annual international conference on Sustainability to learn from indigenous knowledge systems developed in different parts of the world by ancient scholars and applying it to present times.  This year’s conference is the first one in the series and is focused on the Sustainability: Bridging ESG Principles with Indian Knowledge Systems. The conference is being hosted in collaboration with the Sri Sri Institute for Advanced Research, The Art of Living.

Speaking about the conference, Sri Sanjay Padode, Chairman, Centre for Developmental Education, and Founding President, Vijaybhoomi University told MBAUniverse.com: “This conference will help India in reclaiming its Vishwa Guru position. The ancient wisdom accumulated over thousands of years by Vedic scholars in India has been synthesized by scholars globally leading it far away from its origin. I am glad that the Indian Government has started to make a serious effort to remind the world of the source of this knowledge and I am still happier that the faculty of JAGSoM is researching this to integrate it with the modern principles of management to preserve life and humanity”

JAGSoM IKS Conference 2026: Key Speakers & Dignitaries
The conference will bring together prominent academic leaders, policymakers, and global thought leaders from India and abroad. Following speakers shall address the conference:

• Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Founder, Art of Living
• Prof. Kelly Damphousse, President, Texas State University, USA
• Dr Santiago Gracia, VP- Strategic Development, Kedge Business School, France
• Dr Celine Davesne, Associate Dean, Kedge Business School, France
• Prof. Rajan Saxena, Former Vice Chancellor, NMIMS
• Dr Sudhir Kumar Barai, Director, BITS Pilani
• Prof. B S Satyanarayana, VC, Dayananda Sagar University
• Prof. Ram Kumar Kakani, Vice Chancellor - RV University, Bangalore
• Prof. Asit Kumar Barma, Director, BIM Tiruchirapalli

The conference will also feature plenary sessions with experts from academia, industry, and global institutions focusing on ESG, AI, governance, and Indian Knowledge Systems. Read the highlights of key sessions to be held during the conference. 

JAGSoM IKS Conference 2026: Inaugural Ceremony 
To be held on the afternoon of February 16, the inaugural ceremony will be addressed by Chief Guest Dr Kelly Damphousse, President, Texas State University. Dr. Damphousse is the tenth president of Texas State University. Before joining Texas State, he served as chancellor of Arkansas State University in Jonesboro for five years. Well known academic leader Dr Rajan Saxena, former Vice Chancellor, NMIMS University will be delivering the keynote address. 

The inaugural session will also be addressed by guests of honor Dr Santiago Gracia, VP- Strategic Development, Kedge Business School, France and Dr Celine Davesne, Associate Dean, Kedge Business School, France. KEDGE Business School is a triple accredited (AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA) French business school and a Grande Ecole. It was founded in 2013 from the merger of two business schools. KEDGE has campuses in France (Marseille, Bordeaux, Toulon, Paris); Senegal (Dakar); Côte d'Ivoire (Abidjan) and China (Shanghai, Suzhou). 

JAGSoM IKS Conference 2026: Plenary Sessions
Conference will host many plenary sessions. Plenary session 1 on “ESG in Indian Context: Inherent Values and Ethos” will be addressed by Dr. Sudhir Kumar Barai, Director, BITS Pilani; Ms. Sumathi Jayaraman, Executive Director, Sri Sri Institute of Advanced Research, and other speakers.

Plenary Session 2 on “AI & Modern Technology envisaged in the IKS” will be addressed by Prof. Asit Kumar Barma, Bharathidasan Institute of Management (BIM), Tiruchirappalli; Prof. B S Satyanarayana, VC, Dayananda Sagar University; Prof. Prosenjit Das, Assistant Professor at IISc Bangalore; Mr. Satish M, Chief AI Officer at MOVIUS Bangalore and many other speakers. 

Plenary Session 3 on “ESG for Bharat@2030, Policies, Regulations & National Priorities” will be addressed by Prof. Vinod Vyasulu, Former Professor - Indian Institute of Management (IIMB), Bangalore; Prof. Ram Kumar Kakani, Vice Chancellor - RV University, Bangalore; and Mr. Abhishek Ranjan – Head CSR Brilio Bangalore & Secretary United Nations Global Compact and other speakers. 

JAGSoM IKS Conference 2026: Valedictory at Art of Living (AoL) Campus
The highlight of the conference will be a special interaction with Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ji, the Founder of Art of Living Foundation and his valedictory address on evening of February 17, 2026. All participants shall travel to Art of Living International Centre in Bangaluru, tour the ashram to understand sustainability initiatives. Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar shall share his views on the conference theme, and interact with the participants. 

JAGSoM IKS Conference 2026: Paper Presentations Tracks 
The conference will also see paper presentations on following tracks: 

• TRACK 1 - Environmental Sustainability Inspired by Indian Knowledge Systems
• TRACK 2 - Social Responsibility and Community Well-being – Indian Ethos & Modern ESG
• TRACK 3 - Governance, Ethics & Leadership – Insights from Indian Scriptures and Traditions
• TRACK 4 - IKS for Business, Industry & ESG Practices
• TRACK 5 - Technology, Innovation & IKS for Sustainable Development
• TRACK 6 - Policy, Education & Global Perspectives on IKS–ESG Integration

Bringing together global academic leaders, industry experts, and academic leaders, the JAGSoM International IKS Conference 2026 aims to create a meaningful dialogue at the intersection of ESG principles and Indian Knowledge Systems. By integrating ancient wisdom with contemporary management thinking, the conference promises to make an important contribution. As management education evolves, initiatives like IKS Conference position JAGSoM as a platform where tradition, innovation, and responsible governance converge.