IMI Kolkata hosts ISDSI global conference 2025; IIMs, IITs, 57 startups participate

IMI Kolkata inaugurated and hosted the 19th ISDSI Global Conference 2025, bringing together academic leaders, researchers, policymakers, industry executives, investors, and startup founders from India and abroad. The four-day conference focused on innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainability, with discussions linked to technology-enabled growth and management education aligned with India’s development goals.

As per the institute, the conference saw participation from 26 countries and received 1,218 research paper submissions along with 220 business and startup ideas.

Contributors included representatives from all 21 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), universities, business schools, and incubators. “The scale and diversity of participation reinforced ISDSI’s standing as one of the most significant global management research platforms hosted in India,” ISDSI said.

ISDSI Global Conference 2025: Startups secure Rs 5.1 crore

A key feature of the conference was the introduction of the global investment summit under IMI Kolkata’s business incubator, IKN Innovation Foundation. A total of 57 startups presented their ideas to investors.

After due diligence, nine startups secured investment commitments amounting to Rs 5.1 crore and will be supported through IMI Kolkata’s incubation framework.

The conference also marked the launch of Grameen NEEV, a sustainability accelerator programme developed in collaboration with the Grameen Foundation for Social Impact.

Academic discussions included directors’ panels on the future of Master of Business Administration (MBA) education, technology, digitalisation, and the role of business schools in India’s net-zero transition. Sessions also covered Indian Knowledge Systems in management, ESG practices, and research capacity building.

The programme included an ESG masterclass, a doctoral colloquium, and research workshops aimed at early-career scholars, reinforcing the conference’s focus on research, education, and enterprise development.

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IMI Kolkata: IIM, IIT leaders participate

The institute further states that multiple plenary sessions and panels featured directors and senior representatives from IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, IIM Tiruchirappalli, IIM Ranchi, IIM Sambalpur, SPJIMR, FORE School of Management, IMT Ghaziabad, IMT Hyderabad, IIT Kharagpur (VG-SOM), Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, and IILM. International accreditation bodies EFMD, AACSB, and AMBABGA were also represented.

The inaugural session was addressed by Bharat Bhasker, Director, IIM Ahmedabad, who spoke on “Tech for Net Zero: Digital Solutions for a Sustainable Planet.” He observed, “In the last few decades, waves of technology have transformed the way business is done globally. India must now harness technology for the greater good of society and the nation, aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat.”

Concluding the conference, Mohua Banerjee, Director, IMI Kolkata, stated, “Hosting the 19th ISDSI-Global Conference allowed us to strengthen our collaborative ties with a multidisciplinary global community of scholars, practitioners and industry leaders. IMI Kolkata is proud to provide a platform where rigorous research, impactful dialogue and future-oriented solutions converge.”

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