Jammu: Fostering conversations between the institute and the corporate, Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Jammu harmonized the 5th edition of the institute’s flagship event, HR Conclave, a platform for industry leaders, academicians, and students to interact, network, and discuss pressing industry issues. The theme for HR Conclave 5.0 is “Mapping the Uncharted.” This theme has been chosen to encourage participants to think outside the box and explore new ideas and approaches to HR. The conference featured keynote addresses, panel discussions, and breakout sessions. Day one of the events witnessed panels discussing pertinent topics.
The event commenced with Dr. Baljeet Singh, Co-Chairperson Placements, IIM Jammu, addressing the gathering, highlighting the significance of people in an organization.
Prof. Jabir Ali, Dean Academics, and Chairperson, Placements, IIM Jammu, expressed his gratitude to the corporate for its substantial assistance throughout IIM Jammu’s formative years.
Prof. B.S Sahay, Director, IIM Jammu, addressed the students on occasion, emphasizing that “Life without challenges is meaningless,” and urged everyone to participate in their way to construct a strong progressive nation. He also mentioned the rapid strides made by the Institute since its inception on all fronts including the recent 36th rank in the NIRF rankings 2022. He also mentioned IIM Jammu has been trying to offer holistic education to its students, in standards at par with the cream of global class Institutions by bringing in academic excellence through several unique pedagogical and operational reforms.
It was followed by the keynote address by Mr. Rajesh Uppal, Senior Executive Director (HR & IT) at Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., who delivered the opening keynote address. Mr. Uppal enlightened the students with his insights and stressed the necessity of ongoing evolution in light of the rapid pace of change. He concluded his speech with the slogan “UPBEAT,” signifying the pace of fast transformation.
The theme for the first panel was “Malaises of the Matriarch – A Working Mother’s Conundrum.” Dr. Minakshi Kumari, Chairperson Alumni Relations, IIM Jammu, moderated the conversation, which was presided over by Ms. Pragya Singh, Associate Director, PepsiCo, Ms. Neelam Roy, Associate Director – Talent Acquisition, Zycus, Ms. Namita Vyas, Director – Talent Acquisition, Nike, Mrs. Reetu Raina, VP & Global Head – Talent Management, Amdocs, Ms. Kanika S, Senior HR Business Partner and Talent Lead, Zee Media Corporation Limited. The panel talked about the challenges faced by women in the corporate world and how the right talent is gender agnostic, and roles should not be defined by gender. Further, they agreed that patriarchal thoughts persist in modern culture, but they can be eradicated with the support of family members and educating the youth about “equity in the workplace.”
The second panel discussion revolved around “Plugging the Brain Drain.” Dr. Ashish Kumar, Chairperson, Student Affairs, IIM Jammu, moderated the panel consisting of Mr. Arvind, Mahajan, Unit Head HR, SMVDNSH, Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Dr. B. K. Santosh Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, illness2wellness, Mrs. Neha Lal, Senior General Manager – HR and Operations, GCS Hospital and Medical College, Ms. Sugandha Jain, Vice President – HR, BeatO, Mr. Pradeep Singh Rathaur, Senior HR Manager, Cadila Pharmaceuticals Limited. The panelists talked about the reasons behind the Brain Drain and consecutively about the Reverse Brain Drain. They discussed how increasing opportunity is a key to reducing brain drain. The conversation was then followed by a healthy discussion on the factors that attract the Healthcare workforce in India. The discussion was then steered toward the evolution of the Indian pharmaceutical market. The panelists talked about the importance and need of both public and private sectors in the healthcare sector. The panel discussion ended with a positive view towards medical tourism.
The topic of discussion for Panel 3 was “1$ vs. 77 cents: Gender Pay Gap.” The panelists, Mr. Achint Jain, Head of Early Careers, Asia and Australasia, Willis Towers Watson, Ms. Arfa Merchant, Senior HR Specialist, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Ms. Arushi Wadhwa, Lead – Campus Recruitment and Culture and Talent Advisor, Sprinklr, Mr. Ashish Mahajan, Global Head Talent Partner, MoEngage, Mr. Atul Tiwari, Chief Human Resources Officer, Spice Money, Mr. Virender Pratap Singh, Senior HR Manager, NTPC. They highlighted the unconscious biases against women in the workplace. The main colloquy revolved around the prevalent prejudice between men and women in numerous areas and the necessity to take significant measures to reduce the gap. An engaging Q&A session followed the session.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks and felicitation to all the esteemed guests by the Director, IIM Jammu. The event for day one ended with magnificent cultural performances by the students of IIM Jammu.
