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 organizing a two-day International Conference on “Innovation and Sustainable Business Practices in the Digital Era (ICISD’25)” on 14th and 15th February 2025.
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. Madhusmita Mohanty, convener of the conference, gave an overview of the event and introduced the co-conveners.
Chief Guest Dr. Pravakar Sahoo, Senior Advisor, Economics and Finance, NITI Aayog, Govt. of India complemented the Government of Andhra Pradesh for their visionary policy “Swarnandhra” that sets a target to transform the state into a $2.4 trillion economy by 2047 and explained how it aligns with “Viksit Bharat 2047’ vision of Government of India. His speech focused on key aspects of ‘Swarnandhra’ wherein 75% of energy needs are expected to be met with renewable energy. He was of the view that these policy matters perfectly align with the conference theme and called for a human centric approach in the journey of innovation.
Inaugurating the event, Dr. S V Kota Reddy, Vice Chancellor VIT-AP University, emphasized that international collaborations and MOUs would bring laurels to the university. He mentioned the funding support at VIT-AP to young entrepreneurs through Innovation and Incubation Centre of the university and urged the participants to make use of the facilities. He mentioned the salient achievements of the university in terms of more than 1300 publications in the year 2024 and the filing of more than 550 patents. He was of the view that the outcome of innovation should be a start-up idea, as is prevalent in developed countries.
Guest of Honour Dr. Francesco Paolucci, Professor, Newcastle Business School, Australia, addressed the gathering about the technology transformation that are taking place in the current business landscape. He was of the view that in today’s evolving global landscape, innovation and sustainability have become indispensable for businesses to strive and thrive in the digital era. Fostering such collaborative efforts will re-inforce the importance of international co-operation in addressing complex challenges and driving positive change.
Dr. Jagadish Chandra Mudiganti, Registrar, VIT-AP University, spoke on the sustainable policy implications that need to adopt in the current digital era. He was of the view that innovation and sustainability should be coupled with adaptability for effective implementation.
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 was of the view that AI and Machine Learning are going to increase efficiency and hence we need to create an ecosystem for sustainable growth.
Dr. Ravindra Dhuli, Dean-Research at VIT-AP University complemented the efforts of VSB for the research focus and complemented them for increasing the research output.
Dr. K A Asraar Ahmed proposed the vote of thanks and Dr. Mohd. Abdul Muqeet Maaz 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 128 papers will be presented in 2 days, spread across 11 technical sessions during the conference.
