- Sanjay Kapoor, Nishant Rao and Dr. Surajit Mitra inaugurates IIFT’s three day summit, Trade Winds 2015
- Speakers press on the imminent need to digitalize India and reap full potential of its young leaders
With a rapidly changing global economy backed by aggressive 
advancements in technology, the approach to business and enterprise has also evolved. What are the unique challenges of doing business today? What are the secrets of evolving and adapting to dramatically changing times? These were the questions discussed in much detail on the opening day of Indian Institute of Foreign Trade’s prestigious business summit ’Trade Winds 2015’.
As today’s business graduates prepare to become tomorrow’s managers, they not only have to acquaint themselves with traditional time-tested approaches but also develop a knack to quickly adapt to blink–and-miss changes in business environments. The three day summit has brought together prominent Indian business leaders and managers to inspire the confident young minds of the country, and share with them their experiences and valuable learning.
The first day of the summit witnessed the presence of eminent personalities like Mr. Sanjay Kapoor, Chairman, Micromax, Mr. Nishant Rao, Country head, LinkedIn and Dr. Surajit Mitra, Director and Vice Chancellor, IIFT for the inaugural ceremony.
Established in 1963 by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru directly under the Ministry of Commerce, IIFT is one of the country’s most prestigious B Schools. The marquee business summit, is also one of the oldest across India that aims at covering all the facets of international business and providing a platform for IIFT students to interact with eminent leaders from the industry and various esteemed international organizations.
Including discussions on the evolving needs of the time and how the ever-changing world promises to offer the business leader of tomorrow a newer set of challenges than today, the first session of the summit “Business Leader of Tomorrow- What are his/her unique challenges?” had valuable insights shared by Mr. Nishant Rao and Mr. Sanjay Kapoor.
Along with the topic Mr Sanjay Kapoor also highlighted important concepts like the data tsunami and how the fast evolving data ecosystem brings nonlinear challenges.
He also talked about the complexities of today’s business and the need to adopt a proactive attitude to seize the myriad opportunities offered by the digital world.
“Considering the prevalent situation, there is a dire need to make India digital. For evolution, we need to adopt non-linear thinking. The growing competition has made handling the complexities of business a critical agenda. Fearless of the competition and determined to make it big, it is time to look around and be on their toes to grab the potential that the new world has to offer. Young aspirants should shed away all inhibitions and limiting thoughts & instead use analytical skills to make their business work. Experience, knowledge and learning are what truly distinguish a good leader from the rest.” said Mr Sanjay Kapoor .
Following this, sharing some anecdotes to drive home the point, Mr. Nishant Rao gave his thought provoking insights on topic ‘A leader’s mindset’ inspiring the young blood to make it big in the world.
Sharing a key mantra, one that the actually carried on band, Mr. Rao said “Transform, do not settle.” He narrated an incident how his entire team wore this as band, seven showing the one he still wore, and how every time they looked at it, it motivated them to forget their individual identities & dedicate themselves to a larger goal. He exhorted the audience, saying “The 200 students sitting here are some of the brightest in the country, so please never chase the small fish, the 20-30% incremental growth, look for the 2x, the 10x. And you cannot achieve this alone. As a leader you should always look for creating such moments that can help you follow the dreams that you set for yourself.
Over six sessions spread across three days, the summit will deliberate over multiple aspects and components of doing business – from ideation to marketing to operations to others. With a galaxy of C Suite level speakers, it is a tremendous opportunity for IIFT to reach out to the world. The speakers will also discuss some pertinent issues facing the Indian economy and suggest economic strategies to put India on the path of sustainable growth.
The summit also has a healthy participation of women business leaders and entrepreneurs. Among the participants are Ms. Neeru Sharma, Co-founder and Director, Infibeam.Com; Ms. Annapurna Das, Business Unit Director, MSD Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd; Ms. Deepali Nair, Chief Marketing Officer, Mahindra Holidays & Resort India Limited; and Ms. Anu Anand, Head-Talent Acquisition, South Asia, Reckitt Benckiser.
