IIM Nagpur commenced its much-awaited Zero Mile Samvad – a Global Thought Leadership Summit, heralding a platform for transformative discussions. Focused on propelling India towards its ambitious $5 trillion economy, this flagship event promises to serve as a catalyst for innovation, collaboration, and actionable strategies. The event kicked off with a compelling welcome address by Dr Bhimaraya Metri, Director of IIM Nagpur, followed by a keynote speech by Prof Vivek Wadhwa, CEO of Vionix Biosciences. Prof Wadhwa emphasized the crucial role of bridging academia and industry for mutual growth, setting the stage for insightful discussions. Shri CP Gurnani, Chairman of IIM Nagpur and MD & CEO of Tech Mahindra, led a fireside chat navigating the roadmap for India’s economic triumph. The sessions highlighted the intersections of business, technology, and culture.
Furthermore, the event also featured the presence of Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand, sparking a discussion on leveraging sports as a catalyst for innovation and entrepreneurship, positioning India on the global sports arena. Complementing this discourse, film theorist Mr Gopalan Mullick explored the potential of the art world to drive socio-cultural resilience and economic sustainability. The afternoon sessions brought diverse perspectives, covering topics like the future of manufacturing with Prof Balkrishna Rao from IIT Madras and Mr Manish Sharma, Chairman of Panasonic Life Solutions India & South Asia. The discussions also focused on strengthening India’s cyberspace, featuring experts like Lt. Gen. MU Nair, National Cyber Security Coordinator, and Mr Amit Dubey, a Cyber Security Expert.
Ms Navika Kumar, Group Editor at Times Network and Editor-in-chief of Times Now Navbharat, championed women-led businesses, discussing strategies to overcome challenges and promote success. Concurrently, a panel with Mr Sandeep Tanwani, Global VP at Unilever, and Mr S. Subramanyeswar, Group CEO at MullenLowe Lintas Group, explored the transformative impact of AI in advertising and its contribution to India’s $5 trillion economic goal.
Industry leaders like Mr Nitin Jain of OfBusiness, Mr Prajakt Raut from Caret Capital, and Mr Abhishek Pitti of Nitro Network and IBC Media led discussions on innovation and entrepreneurship, sparking conversations about turning ideas into reality and navigating global complexities. The day concluded by highlighting Nagpur’s sustainable economic contributions to the national goal, featuring key figures such as Mr Prithviraj BP, IAS, CEO of SMART City Nagpur, Mr Anand Sancheti, Managing Director of SMS Limited, and Mr Arun Lakhani from Vishvaraj Infrastructure.