Kolkata, January 05, 2026: IMI Kolkata hosted the 19th ISDSI Global Conference from December 26 to 29, 2025, convening senior leaders from India’s leading business schools, global scholars, accreditation bodies, policymakers, CEOs, investors, and startup founders. The four-day conference focused on innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainability, with discussions centred on technology-enabled sustainability, the future of management education, and India’s growth roadmap aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
The conference drew participation from 26 countries and received 1,218 research paper submissions and 220 business and startup ideas, representing all 21 IIMs, leading IITs, universities, business schools, and incubators. Multiple plenary sessions and panels featured directors and senior faculty from institutions including IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, IIM Sambalpur, IIM Ranchi, SPJIMR, IMT Ghaziabad, IMT Hyderabad, IIT Kharagpur (VG-SOM), and others. Global scholars and representatives from international accreditation bodies such as EFMD, AACSB, and AMBA-BGA also participated.
The inaugural session was addressed by Prof. Bharat Bhasker, Director, IIM Ahmedabad, who spoke on “Tech for Net Zero: Digital Solutions for a Sustainable Planet.” He observed, “In the last few decades, waves of technology have transformed the way business is done globally. India must now harness technology for the greater good of society and the nation, aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat.”
Two Directors’ Panels examined the implications of technology and digitalisation for MBA education and the role of business schools in India’s net-zero transition. Discussions highlighted the need to integrate sustainability into curricula, research, campus operations, and industry engagement, while preparing students for long-term career resilience in an AI-driven environment.
A panel on Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) explored the relevance of traditional wisdom in contemporary management and leadership, while CEO, ESG, and investment sessions featured leaders from industry and public sector organisations.
For the first time, IMI Kolkata hosted a Global Investment Summit under its incubation arm, IKN Innovation Foundation. Fifty-seven startups pitched to investors, resulting in nine startups securing investment commitments worth ₹5.1 crore and entering IMI Kolkata’s incubation ecosystem. The conference also saw the launch of Grameen NEEV, a sustainability accelerator programme developed in collaboration with the Grameen Foundation for Social Impact.
Prof. Mohua Banerjee, Director, IMI Kolkata, stated, “Hosting the 19th ISDSI-Global Conference allowed us to strengthen our collaborative ties with a multidisciplinary global community of scholars, practitioners and industry leaders. IMI Kolkata is proud to provide a platform where rigorous research, impactful dialogue and future-oriented solutions converge.”
Prof. Bhimaraya Metri, President, ISDSI-Global, added, “The ISDSI community has consistently fostered research culture worldwide. The 2025 conference at IMI Kolkata marks a landmark success, and we thank the Director and IMI team for delivering a conference of global standing.”
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