The Indian Institute of Management Amritsar (IIMAm) successfully concluded the 5th edition of its Annual IT & Analytics Conclave, Vyakriti’26, alongwith the 5th edition of Aarohan’26, its Annual Leadership Summit on 21st February 2026. The event commenced with a ceremonial lamp-lighting by Dr Ananya Syal, Chairperson, Students Affairs, IIMAm, Mr Vikram Gupta, Vice President Technology, Coforge, Ms Shilpa Singh, Director of Technology, Virtusa, and Mr Ashish V, Senior Vice President, Technology, eClerx.
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In her welcome address, Dr Syal underscored Vyakriti’s role in advancing meaningful thought leadership on themes that are both timely and consequential in today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape. She noted that expanding possibilities must go beyond technological innovation, demanding responsible decision-making and institutional credibility. She also highlighted IIMAm’s commitment to nurturing ethically grounded leaders by ensuring that learning extends beyond academics and remains deeply integrated with real-world practice.
Following the address, Mr Akhil and Ms Aarathi Jayakumar, students of IIMAm, presented the theme of Vyakriti’26, “Expanding Possibilities: Product Leadership in AI Era.” They highlighted how generative AI has transformed product development into dynamic, data-driven systems, emphasizing that modern product leadership requires strategic vision, ethical judgment and trust-led growth in an AI-first world. The session was followed by the felicitation of the esteemed guests by Dr Syal.
Building on the theme, the panel discussion brought forward diverse industry perspectives on navigating AI-led transformation. Mr Gupta emphasized that AI is redefining operational priorities, requiring product leaders to design intelligent, automated frameworks while maintaining meaningful human intervention. He stressed the importance of domain expertise, data reliability and responsible AI deployment across business functions. Ms Singh spoke about the transition toward zero-code intelligence, where problem articulation and cognitive agility outweigh traditional technical execution. She highlighted the complementary role of Cloud as infrastructure and AI as intelligence, stressing the leader’s responsibility in aligning and governing multi-agent ecosystems.
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Adding to the discussion, Mr Ashish focused on the probabilistic nature of AI systems and the corresponding shift in product thinking. He pointed to the importance of selecting appropriate models based on scale and use case, and aligning system design with business intent. Collectively, the dialogue underscored that product leadership in the AI era demands technological awareness, strategic discipline and principled governance to unlock sustainable and responsible innovation. This was followed by an open discussion with IIMAm’s students, which brought forth diverse perspectives and thoughtful engagement on the evolving role of AI in product leadership.
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The post-lunch session marked the commencement of Aarohan’26 with an address by Prof Samir K Srivastava, Director, IIMAm, who reflected on the evolving nature of leadership in a rapidly changing technological landscape. He emphasized adaptability, noting that success is not defined by fixed pathways but by the ability to navigate change with agility and sound values. Drawing from leaders across corporate, societal and other spheres, he highlighted that leadership is a conscious choice rooted in credibility, ethics and character, rather than designation alone. Encouraging students to make independent choices and learn from them, he affirmed that IIMAm provides a platform to shape responsible, future-ready leaders.
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Prof Srivastava then felicitated the first keynote speaker, Mr Sameer Malhotra, Managing Director – Global Head of Quality Assurance & CI and Regional Head – Group Economic Crime COO, Barclays, who spoke on authentic leadership. He emphasized on the importance of listening and integrity, noting that true leadership is defined by daily choices and credibility rather than designation alone. Proceeding with the conference, Dr Mukesh Kumar, MBA Chairperson, IIMAm, felicitated the second keynote speaker, Ms Menaka, Senior Director – Head of Cloud Native Apps, Fujitsu. In her address, she highlighted empowering teams, choosing integrity over authority and aligning people to a shared vision. She encouraged students to make principled choices and build foundations that create lasting impact.
Subsequently, Dr Ankit Sharma, Faculty, IIMAm, felicitated the third keynote speaker, Mr Amitesh Sinha, CEO, V-Spark DeepTech Ventures, Vedanta Group. He observed that daily choices, rooted in character and credibility, shape one’s career trajectory and define personal success. Dr Syal then felicitated the fourth keynote speaker of the summit, Ms Sumita Mohapatro Pani, Senior Vice President; Head of Business Development, Business Ethics & Compliance, and Lupin Atharv Ability, Lupin Limited. Delivering her keynote address, she spoke about resilience as a lifelong journey, emphasizing that character, rooted in ethics, integrity and self-awareness, shapes the choices we make, builds credibility over time and defines the true foundation of leadership. Collectively, the speakers reinforced that enduring leadership is built on value-driven decisions that inspire trust and long-term impact.
Through platforms like Vyakriti and Aarohan, IIMAm continues to bridge industry insight with academic learning, enabling students to cultivate the perspective, values and leadership capabilities required to navigate an evolving global landscape with confidence and responsibility.
