Mumbai: Jai Hind College, Churchgate, one of Mumbai's most distinguished and longstanding institutions of higher education, held its inaugural International Management Conference on Friday, under the theme Industry 5.0: Governance, Technology and Sustainability. Organised by the college's Department of Management Studies, the conference drew scholars, researchers, industry professionals and students from institutions spanning India and the globe, establishing itself, in its very first edition, as a significant fixture in India's academic calendar.
The college, NAAC Reaccredited at A+ Grade in its fourth cycle and recognised as an Empowered Autonomous institution affiliated to the University of Mumbai, has consistently set the standard for higher education in the city. Friday's conference was the latest, and perhaps most visible, expression of that standard.
Dr. Niranjan Hiranandani, Managing Director and Founder of the Hiranandani Group of Companies, delivered the chief guest address at the Inaugural Session. Dr. Hiranandani spoke on the imperative of lifelong learning, drawing on the example of his father, a distinguished surgeon of over six decades of practice, who chose to travel to Germany to learn a newly developed surgical technique from a former student. The story, offered not as an anecdote but as philosophy, resonated deeply with an audience of researchers and students at the threshold of their own intellectual journeys.
The formal release of the Book of Abstracts, co-edited by Dr. Rakhi Sharma and Dr. Arunima Haldar of SPJIMR Mumbai, a PhD gold medalist from IIT Bombay, was conducted during the inaugural session by the assembled dignitaries.
Distinguished Academic Representation
The Panel Discussion on Contemporary Management Research featured panellists from three of India's most prestigious institutions: Dr. Mehul Raithatha of IIM Ahmedabad, Dr. Mousami Prasad of IIT Kanpur, and Dr. Preeti Virdi of IIM Visakhapatnam, with Dr. Disha Bhanot of SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai, as moderator. The discussion examined the intersections of governance, technology and human-centric development in the context of contemporary management research, offering perspectives that were as policy-relevant as they were academically rigorous.
The Research Paper Presentation segment of the conference, running across multiple dedicated conference spaces within the college, was the centrepiece of the day. A total of 152 abstracts were presented across 18 tracks, each chaired by an expert from an institution external to Jai Hind College. The breadth of research encompassed themes including sustainable finance, digital business transformation, entrepreneurship and innovation, ESG reporting, leadership ethics and the future of education.
A dedicated Systematic Literature Review Track was conducted for Jai Hind College students and research scholars, providing a formally evaluated platform for early-stage researchers to present original work to expert reviewers. The track reflects the college's deliberate investment in research culture at the undergraduate level, an investment that is already yielding scholarships of genuine academic merit.
International Editorial Sessions
The International Editorial Panel Discussion, conducted online, brought together Dr. Ashish Kumar Jha and Dr. Baidyanath Biswas of Trinity Business School, Ireland, and Dr. Sunil Tiwari of the University of Bristol, England. The panelists addressed the standards of global academic publishing and the pathways available to emerging researchers seeking to place their work in internationally recognised journals.
The Editorial Talk was delivered by Dr. Mohammed Aboramadan, Associate Editor of the International Journal of Organizational Analysis, a Scopus Q1 journal, whose address offered practical and methodological guidance for researchers targeting high-impact publications.
Skill-Building Workshops
The Paper Development Workshop on Systematic Literature Review, led by Dr. Shubham Singhania of FORE School of Management, New Delhi, and Dr. Varda Sardana of Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, provided attendees with structured training in the conduct of literature reviews and the development of research papers meeting international publication standards.
The Art of Case Writing session was facilitated by Dr. Mita Dixit, Director and Family Business Advisor with FFI-USA certification. Mrs. Savita Chhabra, Founder Chairperson of HRIPL, participated as Guest of Honour.
Gala Dinner at the Bombay Presidency Radio Club
The day's proceedings concluded with the Valedictorian Ceremony in the college auditorium, followed by the Gala Dinner at The Bombay Presidency Radio Club. The venue, one of Mumbai's most storied private institutions, provided a fitting backdrop for delegates, scholars and students to continue the intellectual exchange of the day in a setting that honoured the occasion's significance.
The conference was organised under the leadership of Dr. Rajesh Thadani, Board President of Jai Hind College, and Prof. (Dr.) Vijay Dabholkar, Principal, with Dr. Rakhi Sharma serving as Conference Convenor. The advisory board, comprising Dr. Arunima Haldar of SPJIMR, Dr. Chandrakant Salunkhe, Founder and President of the SME Chamber of India, Mr. Shishir Kumar Mishra, Secretary of the Financial Services Institutions Bureau, and Dr. Shriniwas Dhure, Director of Sydenham Institute, provided the institutional backing that made the conference's ambitions a reality.
With publishing partners including Taylor and Francis Group, Routledge, Emerald Publishing, and IUP, the conference carries the credibility of global academic publishing houses. The inaugural edition of the International Management Conference 2026 has set a benchmark that will define not only the conference's future editions, but the broader arc of research at Jai Hind College.
