International Conference on Reimagining Management in the Era of AI, Sustainability, and Inclusive Growth towards attainment of Viksit Bharat

Concept Note :

In the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), sustainability and inclusive growth are pivotal to achieving the aspirational vision of Viksit Bharat – a developed, self-reliant, and globally competitive India by 2047. In today’s rapidly evolving landscape, shaped by digital disruption, environmental challenges, and social inequalities, management theory and practice must embrace a transformative shift to remain relevant and impactful. The mixture of AI into business operations is revolutionizing decision-making, efficiency, and
innovation, yet it also raises critical concerns around ethics, job displacement, and data governance. Management must now adopt responsible AI frameworks that ensure transparency, accountability, and human-centric design.

At the same time, sustainability is no longer optional but a strategic imperative, urging organizations to integrate eco-conscious practices, reduce carbon footprints, embrace renewable energy, and align with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The concept of Green Management, rooted in Arthashastra and traditional farming systems, offers valuable lessons for modern-day sustainability practices. Furthermore, inclusive growth must be embedded at the core of management models, recognizing the need to bridge
regional disparities, empower women and marginalized groups, promote digital inclusion, and strengthen rural economies through support for MSMEs, cooperatives, and social enterprises. This inclusive agenda is deeply intertwined with the Swadeshi ethos, which calls for indigenous innovation, promotion of local industries, and community-led development. By revisiting the principles of the Swadeshi movement self-sufficiency, ethical production, and local empowerment – India can foster management philosophy combining economic, social and cultural responsiveness. Education, especially management education, must also reorient itself to produce leaders who are not just skilled in global business trends but are also grounded in Bharatiya values, capable of driving innovation with empathy, purpose, and integrity.

In this reimagined framework, management evolves from corporate profit to transformative instrument (mechanism) for national development, blending technology with tradition, efficiency with equity, and profit with purpose. This holistic, integrative approach holds the key to navigating the complexities of the 21st century and ensuring that India’s journey towards becoming a Viksit Bharat is inclusive, sustainable, and deeply rooted in its civilizational identity and cultural wisdom.

Objectives:

• Critically examine the intersection of Artificial Intelligence, sustainability, and inclusive growth in reimagining management frameworks that support India’s transformation into a self-reliant and developed nation (Viksit Bharat), drawing philosophical inspiration from the Swadeshi Movement’s
  emphasis on indigenous innovation, economic independence, and grassroots empowerment.
• Foster academic and policy-oriented dialogue on leveraging AI-driven solutions and sustainable management practices to promote inclusive development, while upholding the core principles of the Swadeshi ethos, local production, self-sufficiency, and culturally rooted progress as foundational to India’s contemporary developmental trajectory.

Sub Themes:

AI and Digital Transformation in Management

• AI in strategic decision-making
• Robotic Process Automation (RPA) in operations
• Ethical and explainable AI in business
• AI and Human Resource Management (HRM 5.0)
• Smart factories and Industry 5.0
• Chatbots, virtual assistants & customer service
• Digital twins in production and project management
• AI for fraud detection and risk management

Sustainability, Environmental Social Governance (ESG) & Green Business Practices

• Triple bottom line reporting (People, Planet, Profit)
• Net-zero goals and decarbonisation strategies
• Circular economy and sustainable product design
• Social entrepreneurship and impact investing
• Environment Social Governance risks in investment decisions
• Climate finance and carbon credit trading
• Green marketing and consumer perception
• Water, energy, and waste management in industries

Inclusive and Rural Management

• Tech-enabled rural supply chain optimization
• Rural entrepreneurship through Self Help Groups and cooperatives
• Digital literacy and financial inclusion in villages
• Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in rural infrastructure development
• Micro-finance and women empowerment
• Agri-business models and precision farming
• Smart village frameworks and governance
• Policy and administrative innovation in rural development

Innovation, Startups & Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

• Lean start-up methodology and Minimum Viable Products
• Government schemes for start-up promotion (e.g., Start-up India)
• Entrepreneurship education and incubation models
• Deep-tech and climate-tech start-ups
• Crowdfunding and alternative capital access
• Institutional – Industry – start-up collaboration models
• Failures and pivots in start-up journeys
• Role of venture capital in emerging markets

Human Resources Management and the Future of Work

• Employee experience in hybrid work models
• Talent analytics and predictive hiring
• Digital upskilling and lifelong learning
• Work-life balance in gig economy
• Gen Z and Millennial expectations at work
• Diversity Equity Inclusion (DEI) strategies and unconscious bias
• Leadership in remote and distributed teams
• Employee mental health and organizational culture

FinTech, Digital Economy & Financial Inclusion

• Block chain in audit and compliance
• Digital lending platforms and credit scoring
• RegTech (Regulatory Technology) innovations
• Cybersecurity in financial services
• Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC)
• Embedded finance and super-apps
• Peer-to-peer lending and smart contracts
• Tokenization and decentralized finance (DeFi)

Marketing in the Digital and Metaverse Age

• AI-powered content creation and personalization
• Influencer marketing and social proof strategies
• Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in marketing
• Voice search and conversational commerce
• Consumer psychology in digital environments
• Metaverse commerce and avatar-based branding
• Brand activism and ethical consumerism
• Gamification in customer engagement
• Phygital Marketing

Leadership, Strategy, and Governance

• Strategic agility in VUCA environments
• Corporate governance reforms and board diversity
• Scenario planning and dynamic capabilities
• Purpose-driven leadership and business ethics
• Cross-cultural leadership and global strategy
• Behavioural governance and decision biases
• Family business strategy and succession planning
• Policy entrepreneurship and institutional innovation

Swadeshi Movement and Indigenous Development Paradigms

• Relevance of Swadeshi values in the digital age
• Indigenous knowledge systems and local entrepreneurship
• Self-reliant economic models and Aatmanirbhar Bharat
• Revival of local industries through innovation and AI
• Swadeshi-based Sustainable Development practices
• Rural self-sufficiency and grassroots governance
• Ethical production, consumption, and circular economy rooted in tradition
• Integration of cultural heritage into Modern Management Thought