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Indian Institute of Management Rohtak hosted the 7th Biennial conference of the Indian Academy of Management (INDAM) from January 7 – 9, 2022. INDAM is among the most prominent management conferences in India. The conference was themed around the triple bottom line (TBL) that focuses on People and Planet in addition to Profits. The conference offered an exciting opportunity for professionals, academicians, policymakers, and thought leaders to share their contributions in various disciplines of management, preview current research, and grow professional networks. It had the participation of over 1000 delegates from across the world. The conference was inaugurated by Hon’ble Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Former Chief Justice of India and Member of Parliament. Mr. Gogoi in his keynote address said, “The ongoing Pandemic has impacted the 3 Ps- People, Planet and Profit. Mankind is passing through its most challenging moments, coming from different quarters such as melting glaciers, rise in sea level, dwindling forest area, forest changes, air pollution, and enormous health hazards. I would like to highlight that this is a problem more serious than the problems created by the ongoing Pandemic. I think there is an answer to these problems faced by the 3 Ps that can be found in the constitution.” He further added, “These provisions of the constitution are in chapter 4 which deals with directive principles. They are not enforceable in court but are supposed to be the guiding principles of state action. Perhaps what we need today is the constitutional debate as to how many of these guidelines are yardsticks to measure the welfare of a state.”

As the world recovers from the pandemic, the relevance of the 'triple bottom line needs reinforcement. This conference provided a collaborative platform to identify research priorities and suggest emergent solutions on the triple bottom line issue in the post-pandemic world. It encouraged greater collaborations between researchers and academicians to integrate the disparate yet interconnected themes of business resilience, ecological sustainability, and social well-being.  It also encouraged greater association between policymakers and researchers to catalyze the development of policy‐relevant research. The discussions and interactions helped the participants in understanding the challenges and scope of the TBL framework with a broader perspective to create greater business values.

Over 800 research papers were submitted at the conference of which more than 300 authors were invited to present their research papers. Conference also included the panel discussions and keynote addresses by some of the eminent speakers like Mr. Devendra Kumar Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, Mr. Shah Mehmood Miakhel, Former First Deputy/Acting Minister of Defense and Governor of Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan; Ms. Nargis Nehan, Former Minister of Mines, Afghanistan, Lt. Gen. A K Singh, Former Lt. Governor Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Amb. Sujan R. Chinoy, Former Indian Ambassador to Japan, Lt. Gen. S L Narasimhan PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd.), Member National Security Advisory Board among others on various topics of Developing Business Resilience, Ecological Sustainability and Social Well-being in Post-Pandemic World. Pre-conference workshops on various research-related topics were also attended by doctoral students, researchers, and academicians.

The Chief Guest for the valedictory ceremony, Prof. Prof Henry Mintzberg, Cleghorn Professor of Management Studies, Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University, Canada at his keynote address elucidated on the socio-economic scenario of the world and underlined the problems plaguing multiple countries. He reiterated the need to rebalance society, identified community as the bedrock sustaining both government and corporations, and suggested that community-led action is the only way to bring balance in the environment and society. He added, “People need to come together in innovative ways to force governments and corporations to conserve the planet and secure well-being for all rather than blindly pursue Profits.” He also highlighted several incidents from history to show how plural organizations have been the harbinger of change. Through the example of Dandi March, he showed how community leadership and organizations have changed the world in the past. He further emphasized that lessons from Indian heritage can help create a balanced society. Prof Mintzberg stated the current methods of protest are plaguing society and are not smart. Smart protests are those that don’t create hassles for citizens but invite government focus and impel government action. Best Paper Award, Doctoral Best Paper Award, SAJHRM Best Paper Award, and SAJBS Best Paper Editor Choice Award were also given away to the researchers during the conference.

Prof. Dheeraj Sharma, Director IIM Rohtak at the valedictory ceremony thanked all the delegates, participants, and presenters for their contribution to the three-day-long virtual conference. He concluded the ceremony by saying, “I believe that the biggest innovation in the world is the change of thought and educational institutions can drive this change of thought in communities, large corporations, and various government institutions. We must take a pledge that we all will at least attempt to alter our thinking in terms of rebalancing society. He further added that if the world starts to consume like the west there is not enough on this planet to support it. Therefore, the Gandhian concept of Gram Swaraj needs revival across the world”

IIM Rohtak has completed over 12 years in teaching excellence and management courage to aspiring young managers in the country. It is one of the leading regulators in the country and the only IIM in the Delhi NCR area. The institute aims to organize various extracurricular activities to develop students' skills and teach them about current trends in the industry, thereby establishing future leaders and bridging the gap between industry and academia.

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