XLRI JAMSHEDPUR’S PRODZION CLUB HOSTS ITS SECOND PRODUCT SYMPOSIUM: AURORA 2.0

XLRI Jamshedpur’s ProdZion club of XLRI PGDM (GM) Class of 2024-25 successfully concluded its second edition of the Product Management Conclave, Aurora 2.0, themed ‘Future Forward: Leading Product Evolution in the Digital Era.’ The event brought together distinguished industry leaders, innovators, and enthusiastic students to delve into the latest advancements and strategies in product management. In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, this conclave provided invaluable insights into the role of artificial intelligence (AI), revenue generation strategies, and long-term product leadership.

The symposium commenced with a traditional lamp-lighting ceremony, symbolizing the start of a transformative journey. The ceremony was graced by Fr. George SJ, Prof. Sanjay Patro, Fr. Donald D’Silva, Fr. Kuruvilla, Prof. Kanagaraj, Prof. Sunil Sarangi, and other distinguished guests. Following the ceremony, students delivered a beautiful invocation song, setting an inspiring tone for the discussions that followed.

The first session of the day explored how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing product development and driving innovation. Yash Piplani, Global Director of Product Management at Dunnhumby, discussed the growing importance of AI in optimizing business operations and enhancing customer experiences. He emphasized the need for accurate data, ethical AI practices, and the value of synthetic data in understanding customer journeys. Monarch Himanshu, Director of Product at Nike India Technology Center, shared groundbreaking insights on how AI reduces data discrepancies, improves supply chain efficiency, and offers organizations the opportunity for rapid experimentation with minimal viable models. Thulasi Chandra Pamujula, Product Head at Airtel Digital, highlighted the accelerated adoption of AI during the pandemic, underscoring the importance of high-quality data to deliver meaningful outputs. Concluding the panel, Ritwik Roy, Director of Product at INDmoney, illustrated how AI helps streamline R&D and adapt to regulatory changes while enhancing customer-centric processes like KYC. Collectively, the panel illuminated AI’s transformative role in shaping the future of product development.

The second session focused on monetizing digital products and unlocking new revenue streams. Shweta Kaushik Sinha, Director of Products at Salesforce, drew from her extensive experience to discuss the importance of identifying product-market fit and setting clear revenue goals early in the development process. Abhijit Dey, VP and Product Head at Axis Bank shared insights into how companies like Axis leverage API banking and digital platforms, such as WhatsApp banking, to meet customer needs while navigating compliance and regulatory challenges. Priyaranjan Pati, Director of Technology at KPMG, stressed the significance of balancing innovation with customer acquisition, citing his 30/30/30 rule for resource allocation to drive sustainable growth. Adding to the discussion, Moinak Chatterjee, Senior Group Product Manager at Atlassian, emphasized optimizing revenue targets through models focusing on customer experience and long-term value creation. Gaurav Gupta, Director at Infogain, also provided his perspective on how product managers should tailor revenue strategies according to the product lifecycle stage, highlighting the focus on customer acquisition for early-stage products and customer retention for mature products. This panel gave attendees actionable strategies for driving revenue growth while aligning with customer needs and industry trends.

The third session of the day highlighted the need for long-term product strategies that can adapt to evolving markets and customer expectations. Praveen Kumar, Senior Director of Product Management at Microsoft, discussed balancing product lifecycle stages with changing customer demands to ensure sustainability. Ramprasad Subburaman from PayPal shared his insights on timing and market readiness for successful product launches while highlighting the need for a founder’s mentality among teams. Virendra Nadgir, Director of Product Leadership at NielsenIQ, highlighted how businesses can leverage innovation to maintain relevance, sharing an example of how Nielsen expanded its consulting solutions through customer insights. Ankur Bansal, Director of Product Management at UKG, emphasized the importance of proactive adaptation and innovation in response to rapid market changes, urging leaders to anticipate disruptions and realign product strategies to stay ahead of the competition. Closing the panel, Saurav Kumar from Amadeus Labs discussed the changing dynamics of customer behavior and the need for constant adaptation to ensure long-term success. This discussion gave attendees valuable perspectives on building resilient, future-ready product strategies.

The final session, Customer Compass: Navigating Product Development with User-Centric Insights, provided deep insights into aligning business goals with customer needs. Janani Jayaraman, Director of Product Management at ServiceNow, shared the importance of narrowing the learning phase and prioritizing product features based on customer feedback, ensuring alignment with the market’s demands. Sandilya Konduri, Head of Product at Yulu, discussed how agility and innovation can create new revenue streams, citing Yulu’s successful pivot during the pandemic to cater to gig workers. Siddhant Dalvi, Director of Product at Paytm, provided insights into balancing user experience with business objectives, emphasizing the importance of building a modular core architecture that caters to diverse customer segments. Prabhat Kumar, VP of Product at Airtel, shared his experience fostering collaboration between organizational leaders to identify key product features and unlock customer innovation. Finally, Shravan Ganguli, Head of Product at Creditas, highlighted the importance of empathy in AI-driven solutions, such as chatbots, and the need to retain human elements to enhance user experience.

Aurora 2.0 concluded with a heartfelt thank you to the esteemed speakers for their invaluable insights into product innovation, AI-driven strategies, and long-term leadership. The event enriched the understanding of product management and fostered a community of aspiring product leaders ready to navigate the challenges and opportunities of the digital era.

The symposium was held at the XLRI Jamshedpur campus, Organised by students Rishabh Dwivedi, Sanchit Jain, Prateek Sharma, Isha Banerjee, Etikyala Sai Charan, and Yash Agarwala, Executive members of ProdZion- The product Management club. The event was moderated by students Yash Khanzode, Tarannum Lakshmidhar, Priyajit Kumar, and Reibhu Sant, and hosted by students Ujjawal Garg, Himanshi Aghi, Vigneswaran B, and Tanu Dudani.

The highly acclaimed event reached its conclusion by presenting personalized mementos to all panelists and announcing the winners of the Aurora 2.0 National Level Case Competition.