VIT-AP School of Business at VIT-AP University, in collaboration with the University of Newcastle, Australia; Heriot-Watt University, UK and Birmingham City University, UK organized a two-day International Conference on “Innovation and Sustainable Business Practices in the Digital Era (ICISD’26)” on 26th and 27th February 2026.
Dr.Arunkumar Sivakumar, Dean In-charge of VSB, VIT-AP University, in his welcome address, highlighted the conference objective of convergence of innovation and sustainability in today’s digital landscape and set the tone of the conference. Dr.MadhusmitaMohanty, convener of the conference, gave an overview of the event and introduced the co-conveners.
Inaugurating the event, Dr. P. Arulmozhivarman, Vice Chancellor VIT-AP University, emphasized the importance of innovation and sustainability as two pillars of economic growth. He stressed that convergence of digital transformation and sustainability is a turning point of humanity. He pointed out the vital role of universities as incubators of ideas and leadership while focusing on ethics and responsibilities. VC requested the students, scholars and faculty to innovate with purpose, create value for all stakeholders, and called for interdisciplinary research.
Chief Guest Mr. Shri R. Venkateswaran, General Manager, Securities and Exchange Board of India pointed out that climate is a global phenomenon which needs to be addressed by innovation, sustainability and digital infrastructure development. He emphasized on the government’s vision of Vikshit Bharat 2047 and India’s Minsitry of Corporate Affair’s National Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct (NGBRC). He also stressed on the SEBI’s policy – Business Responsibility and Sustianbility reposting format on ESG performance.
Guest of Honour Dr. Francesco Paolucci, Professor, Newcastle Business School, Australia, addressed the gathering about challenges across the globe and the employment of AI-driven applications of sustainability to address them.
Guest of Honour Professor Edward Sweeney, Deputy Executive Dean, Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University, Scotland spoke on the sustainability of the business by adopting disruptive technological innovations. He advised the participants to view sustainability holistically including environmental, social and economic development.
Dr ArunSukumar, Professor, Brimingham City University, UK virtually addressed the gathering and appreciated the business school for organizing the conference on sustainability which is the need of the hour.
Dr.Navaneethakrishnan K proposed the vote of thanks and Dr.Mohd. Abdul MuqeetMaaz compered the inaugural session.
The event, comprising insightful keynote speeches, panel discussions, technical session and interactive sessions, seeks to explore cutting-edge strategies, technologies, and exemplary practices that propel both business growth and environmental sustainability. By nurturing dialogue and collaboration among a diverse array of stakeholders, the conference strives to catalyze actionable insights and cultivate partnerships geared towards driving positive change for a more sustainable and prosperous future.
A total of 149 papers will be presented in 2 days, spread across 9 technical sessions during the conference.