IIM Jammu Inaugurates HR Conclave 8.0 on People-First Organizations

Indian Institute of Management Jammu inaugurated its flagship HR Conclave 8.0 at the Mandapam Auditorium, Jagti Campus, on 30th Aug 2025. The conclave, with the theme “People-First Organizations: Culture, Capability & Change”, brought together eminent industry leaders, HR practitioners, and academicians for stimulating discussions on building future-ready, people-centric organizations. Chief Guest on the Occasion was Ms. Vermeen Kapoor, Managing Director – Risk, Finance & Treasury Technology, Barclays. The inaugural ceremony was graced by Prof. B.S. Sahay, Director, IIM Jammu. The inaugural ceremony commenced with the lighting of the lamp, Saraswati Vandana, and felicitation of the Chief Guest, followed by welcome addresses from faculty members. 

Chief Guest Ms. Vermeen Kapoor, Managing Director – Risk, Finance & Treasury Technology, Barclays reflected on her student journey, recalling how leaders often spoke of “Students as future leaders,” a vision that resonates with her strongly today. She highlighted the critical role of technology in transforming every aspect of business and life, from mobile banking to risk evaluation, while underscoring that it is human capital that ultimately drives this transformation. Stressing the importance of being people-centric, she called for creating cultures of psychological safety that empower teams to “fail faster and learn faster,” fostering collaboration, resilience, and creative problem-solving.

She emphasized the need to celebrate cultural heroes, promote collective success over individual success, and focus on capability building through continuous learning and reskilling. With the rapid shift from AI to GenAI, she noted that organizations must encourage internal mobility and holistic leadership development. She added that when organizations invest in people, they thrive by continuously learning. From a change leadership, she underlined the role of strong change in management and influencers in ensuring the success of transformative programs. Concluding her address, she stated that the future lies in designing systems where humans and machines amplify each other, with culture driving growth, capability fuelling innovation, and technology enabling transformation.

Prof. B. S. Sahay, Director, IIM Jammu, spoke about the evolving role and transformation of Jammu and Kashmir in recent times. He noted that under the visionary leadership of the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji, the Jammu region now has three Institutes of National Importance, IIM Jammu, IIT Jammu, and AIIMS Jammu. He also mentioned the IIM Jammu Srinagar Campus, located in a prime location. He emphasized that the nation has great expectations from IIM Jammu and its young minds, urging everyone to align their efforts with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. Highlighting India’s impressive GDP growth, he expressed confidence that the nation is on course to becoming one of the most developed economies. He encouraged students and faculty to place the nation first and pursue excellence in every endeavour. Inviting dignitaries to visit and explore the permanent Jagti Campus, inaugurated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji on 20th February 2024 on virtual mode, he highlighted its state-of-the-art Nalanda Library. 

Stressing that industry demands resilience and high performance, he reiterated that IIMs are not merely about producing MBAs but about serving the nation and society. He spoke about unique initiatives such as CITAG, a policy think tank supporting the Government capacity building and transformation in governance, Mission YUVA with the Government of Jammu and Kashmir, Center for Diversity and Inclusion, Centre for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Skill Development, and the Anandam: Center for Happiness at IIM Jammu, all of which reflect IIM Jammu’s commitment to nation-building. He also underlined IIM Jammu’s remarkable achievement of securing two prestigious international accreditations, BGA Institutional Accreditation and EFMD Programme Accreditation for its MBA programme, within a single year. This milestone places IIM Jammu among the top five IIMs in the country and makes it the only second and third generation IIM to achieve both, signifying its emergence as a globally recognized hub of excellence in management education.

Prof. Jabir Ali, Dean, Faculty and Research, IIM Jammu, welcomed the industry leaders and highlighted the institute’s journey from 46 students to becoming a hub of industry–academia collaboration. He emphasized the importance of industry partnerships in shaping curricula, strengthening programs, and making them more future-oriented.

Prof. Nitin Upadhyay, Dean Academics, IIM Jammu, reflected on the institute’s journey from a single program to five, including executive education and consultancy wing for various training programs, while building a strong global footprint. Marking a decade of growth, he emphasized that IIM Jammu now stands at the cusp of shaping management education in the digital era with a global vision.

Dr. Mahesh Gadekar, Chairperson, Placements, IIM Jammu, shared insights into the institute’s placement landscape. He emphasized the professional approach adopted at IIM Jammu, highlighting its openness to challenges and the growing opportunities through strong collaborations between academia and industry. Prof. Sanjay Gupta, Co-Chairperson, Placements, IIM Jammu, delivered the welcome address and emphasized the institute’s commitment to nurturing future-ready leaders and fostering a culture of innovation. The Inaugural ceremony culminated with the national anthem. Dr. Baljeet Singh, Co-Chairperson, Placements, proposed the vote of thanks and reflected on the inauguration of the two-day, power-packed HR Conclave 8.0.

Day one featured three insightful panel discussions. The first panel, “Aligning HR with ESG Goals: People & Planet Priorities”, moderated by Prof. Jabir Ali, Dean, Faculty & Research, IIM Jammu, and co-moderated by Dr. Muqbil Burhan, Associate Professor, IIM Jammu, included eminent industry leaders such as Mr. Hemal Gajjar, VP HR, Emcure; Mr. Vivian Mendonca, SVP & Global Head, Menarini Group; Ms. Latha, HR Director, Techno Brain; Dr. Santosh Moses, Principal – Public Health South Asia, IQVIA; Mr. Nadeem Pasha, TA Head, RoboSoft and Ms. Aarti Kohli, HR Head, Bausch & Lomb. The discussion emphasized integrating sustainable practices into HR strategies, covering diversity, governance, climate-conscious policies, and community initiatives, while urging future leaders to act as responsible change agents for a sustainable tomorrow, followed by an engaging Q&A session.

The second panel, “Workforce 2030: Skills, Mindsets, and the AI Revolution”, moderated by Prof. Nitin Upadhyay, Dean Academics, IIM Jammu, along with Dr. Jai Kamal, Assistant Professor, IIM Jammu, featured Mr. Prabhanjan Prasoon, Senior Director – Talent Acquisition, Birlasoft; Mr. Satyajit Dwivedi, Regional Director – Customer Advisory EMEAP, SAS; Mr. Raghava Rao, CEO, Camomile; and Mr. Sushil Ghorpade, Head of RMG, Fulcrum Digital. Panelists emphasized that AI should enhance, not replace, human creativity and adaptability. The discussion highlighted its role in recruitment and decision-making, the importance of emotional intelligence, entrepreneurial thinking, and domain expertise, and the ethical use of secure data in adoption, followed by an engaging Q&A session

The third panel, “Shift to Skills: Rethinking How We Hire and Grow Talent”, moderated by Prof. Sanjay Gupta, Co-Chairperson Placements, IIM Jammu, with Dr. Garima Saini, Assistant Professor, IIM Jammu, as co-moderator, featured Mr. Praveen Kumar, President & Dy CHRO, Kalpataru Projects International; Mr. Ovais Rehman, Associate Director, Wipro;  Mr. Ganesh Subramanian, CHRO, More Retail; Mr. Arvind Kumar Srivastava, President – HR, Akums Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Ltd; Mr. Navneeth Sulakhe, Chief People Officer, Smart Q; Mr. Jayesh Kothari, Head HR, Barclays Private Bank. The discussion highlighted that in today’s dynamic business environment, skills increasingly outweigh degrees. Panelists stressed the importance of adaptability, emotional agility, functional and cross-domain expertise, and the T-shaped model of learning. They noted that while a degree may open doors, it is skills, mindset, and continuous upskilling that ensure long-term success. The session concluded with a call for future leaders to embrace creativity, agility, and lifelong learning while building ethical, value-driven careers in an AI-enabled world, followed by an engaging Q&A session.

The day concluded with a vibrant networking session and cultural evening, fostering stronger bonds between industry leaders, students, and faculty, and setting the stage for deeper collaborations in the days to come. IIM Jammu continues to serve as a catalyst for thought leadership, innovation, and industry-academia synergy.