IIM Ahmedabad to Hold
its Flagship Business Event 'Confluence 2007'
Theme: 'India Towards Economic
Leadership'
On November 22-25, 2007
Confluence, the flagship
business event at IIM Ahmedabad, is Asia's largest business school summit. Since
its inception in 1999, Confluence (http://www.iima-confluence.com)
has grown into an unparalleled avenue for managers and students to gain an
insight into emerging trends and be at the forefront of management practices.
Year after year, Confluence has
remained one of the most significant events on the calendars of management
students and professionals - both inside and, to a smaller extent, outside
India. With its star-studded list of speakers and industry experts, Confluence
commands participation of a much larger scale than any other comparable event in
India. Over the years, Confluence has been graced by a gallery of eminent
speakers from the world of business and politics who come to engage with young
minds and spark new ideas. Previous speakers include Mukesh Ambani,
Scott Bayman, Kumarmangalam Birla, Kishore Biyani, J. J.
Irani, Naina Lal Kidwai, Nitish Kumar, Vijay Mallya,
Sunil Bharti Mittal, and Subir Raha, amongst others.
Confluence 2007, which will be
held from 22nd to 25th November 2007, promises to live-up to the high
expectations. This year the speakers will include Mr. Arun Maira
(Chairman, BCG India), Mr. Deepak Parekh (Chairman, HDFC),
Mr. Gurcharan Das (Noted Columnist, The Times of India), Mr.
Jerry Rao (Ex-Chairman & CEO, Mphasis), Mr. Ketan Patel
(Founder Partner, Greater Pacific Capital), Mr. O. P. Bhatt
(Chairman, State Bank of India), Mr. Praful Patel (Minister of
State for Civil Aviation), Mr. S. Ramadorai (CEO & Managing Director,
Tata Consultancy Services), Mr. Shashi Ruia (Chairman, Essar
Group), Mr. Swaminathan S. Ankalesaria Aiyar (Noted Columnist, The
Economic Times) and Mr. R. S. Sharma (Chairman, Managing Director,
ONGC).
In the decades after
independence, India has transformed itself from being an agriculture-based
economy to a global player in manufacturing and services. Confluence 2007 will
attempt to capture the essence of this transformation and India's march towards
becoming a leading global economy through a focus on the theme 'India Towards
Economic Leadership'. The event intends to explore the dynamics of the
business environment along India's path towards economic leadership,
highlighting India's competitive advantages, as well as the challenges it needs
to overcome. With help from some of India's most influential thinkers,
policy-makers and management practitioners, the event aims to gain insights into
how the future of a country is envisioned and planned. The event has also had a
continued partnership with the Tata Group over the years.
Advisory
Committee
In order to promote involvement
of industry representatives, Confluence pioneered the formation of an Advisory
Committee. This includes some of the top business and industry leaders in India
who provide counsel and guidance for success of the event. The members of this
year's advisory committee include: -
Mentor |
Mr.
Deepak Parekh |
Chairman, HDFC Ltd. |
Chairman |
Mr. S.
Ramadorai |
CEO &
MD, TCS |
Member |
Mr.
Ajay Piramal |
Chairman, Nicholas Piramal Ltd. |
Member |
Mr.
Arun Maira |
Chairman, BCG India |
Member |
Mr.
Bakul Dholakia |
Director, IIM Ahmedabad |
Member |
Mr.
Deepak Satwalekar |
MD,
HDFC Standard Life |
Member |
Mrs.
Elaben Bhatt |
Founder, Self Employed Women's
Association (SEWA) |
Member |
Mr. N.
Ravichandran |
Faculty Advisor, Confluence 2007 |
Member |
Mr. O.
P. Bhatt |
Chairman, SBI |
Member |
Mr. R.
S. Sharma |
Chairman & MD, ONGC |
Member |
Mr.
Sumant Sinha |
CEO,
Aditya Birla Retail |
Sessions
Confluence 2007 will consist of
four sessions, each of which will have a focus area that reinforces the overall
theme. The sessions are as follows: -
1. Challenges to
Opportunities: This session will look at the challenges India faces in the
current economic scenario, how these can be approached and transformed into
beneficial outcomes and opportunities.
2. Sustainability & Inclusive
Growth: The session will examine how best to incorporate the principles of
sustainability, conservation and inclusive growth while still retaining the
focus on economic growth.
3. Innovation &
Entrepreneurship: This will look at how, in a dynamic business environment,
innovation, the spirit of entrepreneurship, cutting edge practices and thoughts
and leadership need to be cultivated in order to succeed.
4. Global Foot-prints: The
recent development of Indian companies using an acquisitive inorganic route to
expansion is analyzed and the importance of this approach to becoming an
economic leader is examined.
Events
Apart from the session specific
competitions, Confluence '07 includes flagships events such as, 'MasterPlan':
India's largest Business Plan Competition, 'MouseTrap': An Online
Strategy Simulation Game, 'LiveStock': A Live Trading Game, and 'BizQuizitive':
The Business Quiz.
The primary attraction at
Confluence 2007 will be the Workshops by the cr�me de la cr�me of the
Indian industry landscape providing hands-on experience and Management
Simulation Games which model real world business scenarios including market
conditions, industry events and external factors.
MasterPlan:
India's Largest Business Plan Competition
Acknowledged as the largest
corporate business plan competition of its kind in India, MasterPlan is here
again in a new avatar. The flagship business plan competition was
launched on October 10th in association with Reliance Industries Limited.
This competition has always attracted participation from the best managerial
talent across the world. In addition to the total prize money of US $ 12,000,
the involvement of top-notch professionals in academia and industry have made
this event a coveted launching pad for aspiring managers.
MasterPlan provides participants
an ideal forum to run their own show by scanning favorable business
opportunities under constraints, brainstorming to generate and evaluate options,
and finally devising a strategy providing the perfect balance between risks and
returns. In this year's edition, contestants have to submit a plan based on one
of the 6 sector themes by October 28th. The entries will be evaluated by the
event knowledge partner, KPMG and the top teams will be flown down to
Ahmedabad for a final presentation during Confluence.
Further details of the event can
be accessed at: -
http://www.iima-confluence.com/masterplan.html