‘Without sustainable practices, future generations wouldn’t have anything left’

A two-day International Conference organised recently at Apeejay School of Management (ASM), New Delhi, in collaboration with Bharati Vidyapeeth’s Institute Of Management Studies and Research, Navi Mumbai, sponsored by the All India Council for Technical Education, saw more than 100 participants from all over the globe.

Themed ‘Circular Economy, Management and Industry 4.0 leading towards Sustainability,’ this hybrid offline and online conference was about addressing the post-pandemic challenges for India and adopting Industry 4.0 with a sustainable and smart-thinking approach.   

The first day of the event started with an offline inauguration ceremony of lighting of the lamp followed by Saraswati Vandana. Dr. Etinder Pal Singh Director, ASM delivered a welcome address by sharing the current trends about the market economy. In his speech, he discussed the concerns pertaining to Industry 4.0 and how as individuals we all can contribute to attaining zero wastage across sectors.

Further, Professor Kamal Kishore, Dean at ASM talked about the financial benefits of adopting a Circular Economy that could aid Industry 4.0 and bring a positive change for Indian industries. He stated, “The future generation would have nothing left if the current generation does not think about it and engage in sustainable practices. The current industrial processes are such that products out of use become waste and create a burden on the economy. Management experts, industry wizards, governments, all have been scouting to put in place a system to mitigate this challenge. And therefore, the solution lies in a system that can reduce and re-use this wastage.”

Professor Anuj Kumar, Convener of the conference, said: “Sustainability is a topic that is very close to my heart. I encourage everyone present here to pen down research or papers that must improve the quality and social life of people.”

The conference then moved to an online mode, where scholars and researchers from across the globe shared their presentations. About 40 research papers were discussed at the conference. The panel discussion on the topic, ‘Reflection on Circular Economy and Industry 4.0 leading towards Sustainability’ lasted for an hour with panelists Mr. Joe Houghton, Assistant Professor, University College Dublin, Michael Smurfit, Graduate Business School, Dublin, Dr. Ishita Adhikari, Professor, ASM, Dr. Anviti Gupta Professor of Psychology, School Of Humanities and Social Sciences, Sharda University, and Dr. Mona Sinha, Programme Director, Emirates College for Management and Information Technology, Dubai, sharing their thoughts and expertise.  

At the event, Guest of Honour, Dr. Esther Tippman, Professor, Strategy, Leadership and Change, National University of Ireland, Galway shared her views on Digital Multinationals: Reflections and Recent Insights. She said, “Digitalisation forms the backbone of firms today and Ireland is a digital hotspot for several multi-nationals. Be it Dublin or London, Europe is the first in the field to provide these technologies to the world. By replacing the human element with digital, internationalisation of these technologies has become easier, with a lot of digital firms becoming global players rapidly.” At the session, she also provided guidance to research scholars about publishing papers in International Journals.

The conference concluded with a valedictory ceremony and five best papers presented at the session were announced. The event received affirmative feedback from all students, non-teaching staff, researchers, and participants. 

“The theme of the conference is relevant and timely since the shift from a linear to a recyclable and circular economy is the need of the hour. We need to change our mindset from take-make-waste, to eliminate-circulate and regenerate.”

-Dr. Etinder Pal Singh, Director, ASM