SPJIMR’s Centre for Wisdom in Leadership (CWIL) conclave sparks discussions on Advancing Wisdom and Innovation in Business
Mumbai – SPJIMR’s Centre for Wisdom in Leadership (CWIL) organized a Conclave on Rethinking Business: Advancing Wisdom in Innovation and Leadership, which brought together some of the brightest minds in industry and academia to discuss the importance of wisdom and innovation in modern business.
Dr David Rooney, from Macquarie University, delivered the keynote speech on leveraging wisdom for innovation and growth. He emphasized the need to embrace a more holistic perspective and consider the impact of our actions on society and the environment. “I believe that India has contributed greatly to global wisdom, and it’s interesting to see how Indian wisdom practices like yoga and mindfulness are now being adopted by Western businesses. The CWIL conclave aims to bring this traditional Indian wisdom back to the Indian workplace, particularly in leadership and innovation. I hope we can work with Indian businesses to develop wise models of work, management, innovation, and leadership for a better future.”
Dr Varun Nagaraj, Dean, SPJIMR, speaking on the importance of innovation in business, said, “Innovation is not just about coming up with new ideas, but it’s also about how we implement those ideas with purpose. At SPJIMR, we believe in advancing wise innovation that considers the impact of our actions on society and the environment, and we’re committed to rethinking business through this lens.”
In his address, Dr Surya Tahora, Executive Director, CWIL, introduced CWIL and stated: “Indian enterprises have a golden opportunity to explore the richness of their civilizational roots and find deeper answers to contemporary challenges from various wisdom traditions. It’s time for a cutting-edge, relevant, and practical wisdom-based approach to business that can address rising inequality, climate change, and moral uncertainty. The high level of engagement and meaningful conversations at the CWIL Conclave make me believe that this subject matter is dear to the heart of all the participants.”
Mr. Unni Krishnan, Founder of LongWealth GmbH (knowledge partner for the conclave) noted, “We live in a world where iconic firms which defined modern leadership and management like GE, Boeing, Credit Suisse, Facebook, Starbucks and others are losing their way.This represents an intellectual watershed moment for India Inc. CWIL is a much-needed initiative to shape the narrative, theory, and practice of what could emerge as India’s distinct leadership and management model. LongWealth has been a student of these trends for eighteen years and on a quest to fuse Wisdom traditions with cutting edge management tools; The LivingMachine.”
The event featured two panels. The first panel, ‘Incubating Wise Innovation: Process & Purpose,’ moderated by Dr Varun Nagaraj, included experts such as KRS Jamwal – Executive Director, Tata Industries Ltd, Pranav Kapuria – M.D. Hi-Tech Gears Limited, Kannan Moudgalya, Chair Professor – IIT B, and Prof Ashish Pandey, Associate Professor, IIT B.
The second panel, ‘Individual & Organizational Wisdom in Action: Rethinking the Ecosystem,’ moderated by Dr David Rooney, included Mr Satish Pradhan, Former Group Head, HR, Tata Sons, Mr Debabrata Mohapatra, Head, Human Resources, Schneider Electric India, Mr H N Shrinivas, former CHRO, Indian Hotels and presently, Advisor to Tata Trusts, and Mr Srinivas Adepalli, Founder and CEO, GlobalGyan.
The SPJIMR CWIL Conclave provided an opportunity for thought leaders to discuss the future of business and the role of wisdom and innovation in shaping it.