PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, Nov 12: XLRI Jamshedpur successfully hosted FULCRUM-2024, a conclave on the theme “Consulting for Tomorrow – Driving Innovation, Sustainability, and Resilience in a Rapidly Changing World” on its campus here on November 9.
Organized by the B-school’s PGDM (GM) Kautilya Consulting Club, the conclave was coordinated by a dedicated team of XLRI students – Deep Dinda, Himanshi, Madhumeta Rajkumar, Preeti Rawat, Rohit Sharma, and Sridip Mishra.
The event stood as a beacon for cutting-edge discussions and networking in the field of consulting, offering a platform where academia and industry leaders jointly sketch the evolving contours of global consulting practices.
The one-day conclave unfolded through a series of panel discussions, each addressing critical aspects of modern consulting practices and the future of global business strategies.
The panels brought forward a blend of perspectives that highlighted the synergy between enduring business practices and innovative consulting solutions.
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Sustainability and purpose-driven growth
The first panel kicked off the event with a compelling discussion on “Sustainable Consulting: Catalyzing Long-Term Growth through Purpose and Profit”.
The partner-panellists Ritika Mathur (Grant Thornton), Joy Prakash Somani (Infosys Consulting), Shubhabrata Roy (Behavioural Insights Architecture & Strategy) and Maheshan Kuttikkariyil (IBM Consulting) illuminated the evolving definition of sustainability beyond environmental concerns to include vital social and economic dimensions.
They stressed the importance of driving behavioural change and integrating sustainability deep into corporate strategies to empower a culture of informed decision-making and responsibility.
Global leadership and capability evolution
The second panel delved into “Global Leadership and Capability Evolution,” where figures such as Sanjoy Banerjee (PwC), Mohammed Faraz Khan (Zinnov), Ritesh Kumar S (BDO), Param Puneet Singh (Accenture) discussed the transformation of Global Capability Centers from operational backwaters to frontiers of innovation and strategy.
The conversation underscored the transition from financial arbitrage to talent arbitrage, marking a significant shift in how these centers contribute to global business frameworks and innovations.
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Innovative approaches to 21st-century business challenges
The third panel, “Consulting Reimagined: New Approaches for Solving 21st Century Business Problems,” saw luminaries like Varun Saddi (Protiviti), Vik Bahl (Korn Ferry), Hamsini Shivakumar (Leapfrog Strategy), Roopank Chaudhary (Aon) and Deb Majumder (IBM) advocating for an interdisciplinary approach in consulting.
Digital transformation as a strategic lever
The fourth and final panel, “Harnessing the Power of Digital Transformation for Strategic Advantage,” featured a discussion that traversed the realms of AI, automation, and strategic business insights.
Esteemed speakers including Vipin Gupta (EY), Jai Dev Rajak (Accenture), Prashanth Prabhakara (KPMG), Kingshuk Ray (IBM) and Saket Mehra (Grant Thornton) emphasized the critical balance between technological advancements and strategic business acumen, showcasing how digital transformation can drive comprehensive stakeholder value and societal progress.
The conclave not only highlighted the dynamic nature of consulting but also set the stage for future engagements where technology and strategic insights intersect to foster growth and innovation.
As the panels concluded, it was evident that the future of consulting lies in the ability to seamlessly integrate innovation with traditional business values, creating sustainable, impactful business practices that extend across global markets.
