Bhubaneswar: Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar (XIMB) hosted the 7th edition of its flagship Business Excellence Summit (BES) which concluded on Sunday. The two-day event, themed “Leading at the Edge: From Uncertainty to Impact,” brought together distinguished leaders, faculty, and students to exchange insights on navigating change and creating meaningful impact in today’s evolving business landscape.
Delivering the keynote, Kamadeba Mohanty, COO of Reliance Grocery Retail & Jiomart, Reliance Retail, shared insights from his journey across banking, retail, and corporate strategy. He highlighted clarity of purpose, agility, and bold decision-making as keys to success, urging students to stay conceptually strong, embrace diversity, and leverage AI-driven opportunities. The session also featured discussions on leadership, technology, and AI with a student Q&A.
The second session featured Sapna Mohata, Vice President – Lending & Project Finance, NaBFID, who shared her journey and urged students to trust their path, nurture passion, and step out of their comfort zones. She emphasised that while AI can manage routine tasks, critical thinking remains a human responsibility, highlighting the value of mental strength and staying grounded.
Amit Pahuja, Director of Internal Audit, American Express GBT, who spoke on leadership during uncertainty, stressed situational adaptability, embracing ambiguity, and choosing integrity over popularity — “always picking the harder right over the easier wrong.”
Aroop Mohapatra, Vice President, IndusInd Bank, reflected on the evolution of Indian banking, from ATMs to mobile banking, noting that “if you don’t disrupt your own business, someone else will,” while cautioning against over-reliance on AI.
Bhaskar Roy, Head of AI (Customer Experience), Group Digital & Innovation, Tata Sons, who focused on disruption, adoption, ethics, and innovation, urged students to keep ethics central as technology reshapes industries.
A panel discussion moderated by Shridhar Kumar Dash, followed by an interactive Q&A and a vote of thanks from the BES team, marked the close of an insightful session.
The third session featured Bhaskar Roy, Global Delivery Leader – Data Science & AI at Genpact, who called AI the “new normal”, driving innovation and cost savings. He proposed adding Platform as the 8th P of marketing and stressed Industry expertise, responsible AI, and continuous learning: “AI won’t replace humans, but humans using AI will replace those who don’t.”
Satya Swarup Das, Director of Product Management – Financial Services at Unisys, who defined innovation as execution and outlined the journey from vision to strategy to action. Using UPI as an example, he stressed balancing trust, speed, and quality while navigating AI’s uncertainties.
Debasis Mohapatra, Independent Consultant, emphasised that leadership is about execution, not just ideas. His key message was: start small, scale with controlled acceleration, stay resilient, and lead from the front.
The summit concluded with discussions on disruption, responsible AI, and the evolving role of leadership in uncertain times. Students actively participated in Q&A sessions, reflecting on the need for adaptability, ethics, and continuous learning.
