04 August, 2025, Bengaluru: Venix 2025, India’s premier business and entrepreneurship summit, concluded on a high note, exceeding all expectations and leaving attendees inspired to explore new opportunities. This year’s event was attended by over 415 students from more than 125 reputed colleges across the country.
Venix, hosted by the students of the Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP) and PGP in Business Analytics (PGPBA) at Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, provides a platform for students to showcase their problem-solving abilities, engage with industry leaders, and gain insights into the latest business trends.
This year’s Venix featured a remarkable line-up of speakers from across business, government, academia, sports, cinema, and technology, who captivated the audience with their insights and experiences. The event was inaugurated by Joohi Smita Sinha, Chief General Manager at SBI, and Shyam Unnikrishnan, Managing Partner at Bain & Co. India. The summit featured 11 speaker sessions, 6 immersive workshops, and a suite of challenging case competitions.
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DAY 1: Speaker Series
Dr. Tirthankar Patnaik, Chief Economist, NSE, and Madhavan Narayanan, Senior Journalist, opened the day with a panel on ‘India’s Development Trajectory: Business Opportunities in the Viksit Bharat Vision @2047,’ moderated by Prof. Ritwik Banerjee, Chairperson, Economics, IIMB. They highlighted how India’s growth story is no longer a question of potential, but of purpose, and how we align markets, minds, and the environment to shape a truly developed nation.
Kushendra Singh, Head of Talent Acquisition at Coca-Cola India & Southwest Asia, in his session ‘Building a Billion-Dollar Culture Through Talent’, emphasized that culture isn’t about perks, it’s about everyday experience. “It’s not always bad culture, it’s a bad fit,” he noted.
Prof. Moorthi Y L R, Marketing area, IIMB, brought energy to his talk, ‘The ABC of Business,’ describing the essential trio for success: a visionary ‘Poet’, a pragmatic ‘Baniya’, and an execution-focused ‘Busybee.’ His call to entrepreneurs: “Dream boldly, simplify your model, and get the basics right.”
Banu Mushtaq, lawyer, activist, and International Booker Prize-winning author, delivered the session, ‘Empowering the Unheard,’ moderated by Usha KR,Former Managing Editor, IIMB. Drawing from her story Heart Lamp, she spoke of writing as resistance. “If I write, my hand will burn. If I don’t, my heart will,” she said, urging writers to speak for those long silenced.
Roma Datta Chobey, MD, Digital First Business, Google India, addressed ‘AI: Hype or Reality?’ concluding firmly that AI is already reshaping work, creativity, and business. “AI is no longer the future, it’s the present,” she said, highlighting innovations like Project Astra and Gemini as catalysts for India’s $1 trillion digital dream.
In the session ‘Process Intelligence in Business Transformation,’ Pamela Kundu, Sales, Celonis, Ranjan Rao, Business Consulting, EY, Akshay Nigam, Leader, SCM, Hitachi Energy, and Prof. Rajeev R. Tripathi, Chairperson, Supply Chain Management, IIMB, explored how process intelligence drives agility and scale. “Even gut feel today is data-backed instinct,” said Nigam, emphasizing tools like digital twins and data-driven decision-making.
DAY 2: Speaker Series
The day began with a motivating session, ‘Beyond the Boundary: Lessons in Leadership & Playing at the Top Level,’ featuring Indian cricketer Mayank Agarwal, Indian national cricket team, and Captain- Karnataka state cricket team, moderated by Prof. Soudeep Deb,Chairperson, Decision Sciences, IIMB. From domestic circuits to debuting at the MCG, he emphasized the importance of mental discipline, visualization, and self-reflection. “Pressure is a privilege when you choose to be there,” he said.
On leadership, he drew insights from MS Dhoni’s calm foresight, Virat Kohli’s sense of accountability, and Rohit Sharma’s people-first approach. “Leadership isn’t a one-way street. It’s about understanding your team, their strengths and struggles, and lifting others while moving forward.”
Vaibhav Rustagi, Head of Revenue & Growth at Flipkart Minutes, explored ‘Quick Commerce: Strategic Choices & Leveraging Horizontal Synergies.’ He outlined how India’s dense metros and evolving shopping behavior fuel Q-Commerce growth. “It’s not just about speed; it’s about anticipating need and placing your business close to it.”
Emma Jindal, CFO at Accenture India and IIMB alumna, spoke on ‘Charting the Uncharted: Leading Through Reinvention with Talent & Tech.’ In a world where AI writes poetry and negotiates contracts, she said: “Reinvention isn’t optional, it’s how we stay relevant.” Her message to business leaders: Invest in people as much as in technology.
In the speaker series, ‘The Impact of Regional Cinema on Indian Culture,’ Kannada actor Rishi spoke with PhD scholar D.V.R. Surya Vaibhav about storytelling and entrepreneurship. “Films succeed when they get the basics right, authenticity and emotion,” he shared, adding that regional cinema’s rise has shown the world the power of local stories.
Madhabi Puri Buch, Former Chairperson of SEBI, delivered a powerful keynote on ‘Technology and Evolving Trends in Financial Markets,’ where she challenged the audience to see risk not as a fear factor, but as a strategic differentiator. “It’s not just about mitigating risk; it’s about leveraging it,” encouraging business leaders and students to reinvent themselves every 4–5 years to stay relevant. Followed by a fireside chat moderated by Dr. Aishwarya Krishna, with PGP 2 students, Anjali and Riddhi, where Madhabi spoke candidly about the evolution of capital markets, unbundling of risks, and the future of financial roles in an AI-driven economy. She emphasized the growing importance of intuitive, hands-on learning and advocated for competence-based confidence rather than credential-based comfort.
The fest was not just a showcase of groundbreaking ideas, but also a vibrant celebration of art and entertainment with two high-energy Pro-nite events. Attendees were captivated by the sheer talent of singer Nikhil D’Souza and a laugh-out-loud performance by comedian Aaditya Kulshreshth (Kullu), followed by energetic closing acts.
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