3rd International conference on contemporary business trends begins at NIT Srinagar

Srinagar, July 08:  The 3rd International Conference on contemporary business trends in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)’s began on Saturday at National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar.

The conference is being organized by the Department of Humanities, Social Science and Management. The inaugural session was presided over by Prof Furqan Qamar (Centre for Management Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia New Delhi), who was Chief Guest on the occasion.

The podium was also shared by Dean R&C, Prof. (Dr.) M.F. Wani, Registrar NIT Srinagar, Prof. Syed Kaiser Bukhari, HOD HSS&M, Prof. Tanvir Jalal, Dr. Rahul Mirchandani, Head Aries Agro Limited and Head CII Srinagar, Mr. Khurshid Dar.

While Dean Faculty Welfare, Prof. G.A Harmain, Dean Alumni and International Affairs Prof. Nazir Ahmad Sheikh, Dr.Sheikh Shahid Saleem, Dr. Tahir Ahmad Wani, faculty members of HSS&M department and other personalities were present on the occasion.

Director NIT Srinagar, Prof Sudhakar Yedla, who could not attend the event due to other pressing engagements extended his best wishes to the organizing team of the conference. He hoped that all participants would get engaged in fruitful discussions and exchange innovative ideas in fostering business partnerships.

In his key address, Prof. Furqan Qamar said change is inevitable and in order to keep match the expectations of change, we need to keep learning.

 He said today’s rapidly changing business landscape, it is indeed crucial for individuals and organizations to continually innovate and adapt to stay relevant.

“Keep a track on industry trends, technological advancements, and customer preferences. Encourage and reward creativity within your organization. We have to invent and reinvent things to keep ourselves updated in the business,” Prof. Qamar said.

He further said there are always challenges in business. Every time there is change and we have to provide an appropriate response to it. He also cited many examples in the world how top brands have survived despite challenges and many also collapsed.

“Remember that inventing and reinventing oneself in contemporary business is an ongoing process. Stay curious, be open to change, and proactively seek opportunities for growth and improvement,” he added.

Dean R&C, Prof. (Dr.) M.F. Wani said there are a number of challenges to business in any part of the world including Kashmir. The market rates are always fluctuating and there is no business plan applied on the ground, he said.

“So, it is crucial to conduct a thorough assessment of the local context and seek guidance from local experts or business associations when implementing these solutions,” he said.

Prof. Wani cited examples of losses of apple industry, handicraft business and local markets in Kashmir. He said there is a need to address those issues and provide solutions, so that they can stay relevant in the present scenario.

In his inaugural address, Registrar NIT Srinagar, Prof. Bukhari said during the last few years, the economic landscape has transformed drastically all over the world, primarily due to the imprints of Covid pandemic.

He said the same has been the case with India. Market demand investments and our government has been encouraging public-private participation to rake up domestic investments in order to foster domestic production and reduce the economic disparity.

“The recent union budgets has addressed this issue and tried to bridge the gap between industry and educational spaces, so as to realize the India’s dream policy intervention of “Atmanirbhar Bharat,”

Prof. Bukhari said NIT Srinagar has always been at the forefront of such creative initiatives. Various engineering departments of our institute are offering their consultancy services to the government as well as to the corporate sector, which is a matter of pride for us,” he said.

Director NIT Srinagar, Prof. Sudhakar Yedla is Chief Patron, Prof. Neyaz Ahmad is the Chairman, Dr. Tahir Ahmad Wani, Dr. Sumaira Jan, Dr. Mohd Rafiq Teli are the convenors, and Dr. Nufazil Altaf, Dr. Ajaz ul Islam, Dr. Shahnawaz Ahmed are the coordinators of the two-day event.

HOD HSS&M, Prof. Tanvir Jalal said this international conference will act as a vibrant platform for young researchers and other participants.

“The two-day conference will provide young researchers and participants with opportunities to present their research findings, projects, or innovative ideas through technical sessions, or panel discussions. This allows them to gain visibility and receive valuable feedback from experts and peers,” Prof. Jalal said.

Addressing the participants, Dr. Rahul Mirchandani, Head Aries Agro Limited termed the present generation as “remix generation”. He said the current era of individuals are grown up in a digital age with easy access to various forms of media, technology, and information.

“This generation indeed needs certain responsibilities due to the unique opportunities and challenges presented by remix culture. Last year we published the output of the 2nd conference in a journal and it was widely appreciated for its purely Indian context,” he said.

Dr. Mirchandani said apart from research papers, they also have organised a Cultino pitching party in which innovative ideas will be discussed. The market is telling you the challenges and we have to provide solutions, he added.

Earlier the inaugural speech of the conference was delivered by Dr.Mohammad Rafiq Teli. He said the Conference was aimed to bring together leading academicians, researchers and industry professionals to exchange and share their experiences and research outcomes on all aspects of contemporary business trends.

A formal vote of thanks was presented by Dr.Insha Iftikhar. She expressed her gratitude to the Chief Guest Prof. Qamar, Registrar NIT Prof. Bukhari, Dr. Mirchandani, Prof. M F Wani and all participants, for making the inaugural session of the conference successful.