The day’s discussions commenced with a panel on the theme – Reimagining Learning and Culture – Empowering Agile, AI-ready Talent, moderated by Prof. Jatin Pandey, Faculty in the OB&HRM Area at IIM Indore. The conversation featured Mr. Gautam Duggal, (SVP, Citi), Mr. Abraham Zachariah (SVP, HSBC), Mr. Sahil Nayar (Senior Associate Director, KPMG), and Mr. Manu S. Varma (Head HR, ITC), who reflected on the growing interplay between artificial intelligence and human intelligence in organisational decision-making. The panel agreed that as automation replaces transactional roles, the value of human contribution increasingly lies in contextual judgement, creativity and empathy. What emerged strongly was the belief that mindset now outweighs mere skillset, and emotional intelligence may well become the defining differentiator of leadership in an AI-accelerated era.
The dialogue then shifted to the evolving role of higher education in modern society in a conversation moderated by Prof. Swati Ghulyani, Faculty in the OB&HRM Area at IIM Indore. This panel themed Universities of the Future: Balancing Tradition, Technology & Global Relevance was joined by Dr. Paul Wilson, Principal of Madras Christian College, and Dr. D. Pandiaraja, Principal and Director of Thiagarajar College, Madurai, who reflected on the challenges of balancing rootedness in tradition with adaptability to global expectations. They advocated for an educational paradigm that moves beyond instruction to facilitation, from rote to reflection, and from curriculum-based delivery to context-based discovery. The speakers reiterated that universities today must nurture global citizens with local grounding, capable of interpretation rather than imitation.
Furthering the continuum between academia and industry, Prof. Ranjeet Nambudiri, Faculty in the OB&HRM Area at IIM Indore, moderated a discussion themed Building Future-Ready Organizations: Harnessing IR, Technology, and People-Centric Leadership, featuring Mr. Rengarajan Alagar, Regional HR Integration Manager at Maersk, Dr. Rajen Mehrotra, Former Senior Employers’ Specialist at the ILO South Asia, Mr. Yashwant Chauhan, CHRM and Deputy HR Head JLPL at GAIL, and Ms. Crystal Pinto, Vice President – Learning and Development at Reliance Nippon Life Insurance. The group reflected on the rapid shifts in workforce expectations, emphasising the need for organisations to humanise systems without compromising efficiency. They underscored that policy, governance and culture must evolve simultaneously to enable agility without eroding dignity.
The conclave culminated in a panel on mentorship and campus life, moderated by Prof. Amitabh Kodwani, Faculty in the OB&HRM Area at IIM Indore. The session featured Dr. Kanika K. Ahuja, Acting Principal of Lady Shri Ram College, Dr. Jossy P. George, Director Christ University, and Dr. P. B. Harathi, Principal of PSGR Krishnammal College for Women, who reflected on the changing aspirations and anxieties of the youth. They highlighted that while infrastructure and pedagogy continue to evolve, the essence of education lies in emotional scaffolding and ethical grounding. Mentorship, they agreed, must evolve from supervision to partnership.
Mimamsa 2025 concluded not with prescriptions but with provocations. Rather than offering quick solutions, the conclave left attendees with enduring questions — How do we build technologically advanced yet deeply humane institutions? Can agility coexist with reflection? Can ambition grow without eroding empathy? The event reaffirmed IIM Indore’s belief that leadership must be measured not only by what it achieves, but by what it enables — not just in systems, but within people.