The event convened industry leaders, students, and professionals for discussions on product management and innovation in the digital age.
The symposium commenced with a lamp-lighting ceremony officiated by Fr. Donald D’ Silva, Dean Administration & Finance. Prof. Sunil Sarangi, Entrepreneurial Cell, XLRI Jamshedpur, delivered the inaugural address, emphasizing the significance of design thinking, lean startups, and agile methodologies for successful product management. He highlighted emotional intelligence, core competencies, and adaptability as essential qualities for product managers.
The opening panel discussion, titled “Innovation Ignition: Sparking Creativity and Launching Breakthrough Products,” featured insights from distinguished speakers: Abhishek Goel, Head of Products, Yubi Securities; Rahul Goyal, Head of Tech & Product, Zero to 1 Consulting; Arif Anwar, Director of PM, ZS Associates; Shravan Tickoo, Group PM, Bhanzu; Rishabh Mathur, Head of Product, Airtel Digital
The panel explored crucial practices for igniting innovation, emphasizing the value of incremental development, understanding core problems, and prioritizing user-centric solutions. Discussions highlighted the importance of resourcefulness, continuous learning, collaboration, and effective stakeholder management. The panelists collectively portrayed product management as a dynamic and multifaceted discipline requiring continuous learning, collaboration, and a deep understanding of both business context and customer needs to drive effective innovation in the rapidly evolving market landscape.
Bhushan Kolleri, Chief Product and Innovation Officer at Zee Entertainment delivered a keynote address following the opening panel. Titled “Launching Your Product Management Career the Right Way,” Mr. Kolleri championed a back-to-basics approach, emphasizing core principles over complex frameworks. He concluded by highlighting the importance of product-market fit and fostering a strong cultural foundation for long-term success in product management.
The second panel, “Unveiling the PM Playbook: Strategies & Tactics for Product Excellence,” featured industry leaders: Abhishek Sharma, Chief Product Officer, HT Digital; Ashwini Patil, Senior VP Product, Lentra; Satyarth Priyedarshi, Chief eCommerce Officer, Redington; Sushant Mathur, Director of Product Management, Sabre; and Sandeep Shrivastava, Director of Product, Microsoft.
The panel delved into the core principles of achieving product management excellence. They stressed the importance of data-driven decision-making, emphasizing the crucial role of market research in understanding emerging trends, competitive landscapes, and consumer preferences to shape effective product strategies. Customer-centricity emerged as another vital aspect, with the panel highlighting the importance of user experience design in creating products that resonate with users and foster brand loyalty. Finally, the discussion explored the value of iterative development methodologies, highlighting the importance of agility and adaptability through rapid prototyping, user testing, and continuous feedback loops to refine features, optimize user experiences, and stay ahead of the competition.
The culminating panel discussion, “The Dopamine Dilemma: Building Products that Hook without Harming,” featured esteemed speakers: Samiran Ghosh, Technology Advisor & Podcast Host; Bragadish Natarajan, Senior Director, Publicis Sapient; Syed Salman, VP Data & Products, Maybank; Vinayak Desai, Senior Vice President, Zee Entertainment and Vishwanath Belur, Senior Director, Informatica
The panel discussion yielded several key takeaways for navigating the “dopamine dilemma” responsibly. Firstly, it highlighted the need for nuanced design, and underscored the importance of ethical considerations, stressing that stakeholders must navigate this dilemma with sensitivity and strive to build products that empower users, not manipulate them. Furthermore, the panel emphasized the need to balance engagement and ethics. This requires reevaluating product features and key performance indicators (KPIs) to prioritize long-term user satisfaction and well-being, moving beyond mere user acquisition.
Finally, to conclude the event, a Vote of Thanks was extended by our hosts to express gratitude to the esteemed guests, our Gold sponsors – Hotel Yashwee International, our Silver sponsor – GoCrackit, our case competition & give away partner – TheProductFolks & SkillBuzz, our radio partner – Big FM, and our food & Beverage Partner Cones & Delights Café and Udipi Upahar.
