Dr. Rubal Rathi

Dr. Rubal Rathi is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Fortune Institute of International Business (FIIB) and a member of the Center of Behavioral Insights. She specialises in branding, consumer behaviour, storytelling, and luxury marketing, mentoring students to build culturally relevant brands.

Her research focuses on luxury brand management in emerging Asian markets, including digital transformation, sustainability, and cross-cultural insights.

With prior experience in luxury consumer research and corporate banking at Axis Bank, she brings a strong industry perspective into the classroom. Her teaching emphasises hands-on learning through projects, case studies, and real-world applications.

Speaker: Dr. Sakshi Arora, Assistant Professor, School of Business, Woxsen University

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-sakshi-arora-a27472a0/

Email: sakshi.arora@woxsen.edu.in

Date & Time (confirmed with speaker): 12th April (Sunday) | 8pm-9pm

Topic: MBA Analytics That Pay Off

Topic to cover: Analytics in MBA: Skills & Future Opportunities | What Recruiters are Looking for in MBA Grads (general) | What Recruiters are Looking for in MBA Business Analytics Graduates | Business Analytics in MBA: What Companies Expect

Mr. Milind Mutalik

Email: mutalik.milind@gmail.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/milind-mutalik-6bb7803

Topic: Consumer Behaviour

Day, Date & Time: Saturday, 25th April 2026 at 8:00 PM

Insights into Impact: Navigate the World of Consumer Behavior!

Why certain brands, products, and services succeed or fail
Understanding your target group (TG)
Fundamentals of consumer behaviour
The age of AI and personalization
Importance of data analytics in consumer behaviour

Mahendra Singh Rao

Professor – School of Management, Ahmedabad University, specializing in strategy, leadership, and organizational development, with extensive academic and industry engagement.

Holds a Ph.D. in Management, with strong academic training in organizational behavior, leadership studies, and management education.

Associated with Ahmedabad University, contributing to teaching, research, and curriculum development focused on contemporary management practices and interdisciplinary learning.

Actively involved in research, academic mentoring, and executive education, working at the intersection of strategy, leadership effectiveness, and organizational performance.

Recognized for student-centric pedagogy, integrating experiential learning, case-based teaching, and industry perspectives into management education.

Engages in research publications, academic collaborations, and institutional initiatives, supporting innovation and excellence in higher education.

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Mr. Milind Mutalik

Freelance Human Resource Consultant, bringing 30+ years of experience across Consulting, Manufacturing, IT, and ITES organizations, specializing in strategic HR transformation and people management.

Former Chief People Officer – Accolite Digital, leading enterprise-wide people strategy, talent management, and organizational development initiatives.

Previously served as Head – Employee Experience at Accolite Digital, driving employee engagement, culture transformation, and HR process excellence.

Held leadership role as Vice President – Human Resources at DBL (Mother’s Recipe), working closely with senior management on strategic business and workforce initiatives.

Earlier Senior Director – Human Resources at Synechron Technologies, overseeing HR operations and organizational capability development.

Extensive experience at Cognizant Technology Solutions and T-Systems India, managing HR operations, talent management, compensation & benefits, HRIS, statutory compliance, and employee engagement programs.

Expertise across Talent Management, Compensation & Benefits, HR Operations, Employee Experience, Training & Development, and Organizational Effectiveness.

Holds PGCHRM from XLRI Jamshedpur (Ranked 2nd All-India) and PGDHRM from Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies, with strong academic grounding in Human Resource Management.

Recognized for building process-driven HR systems, enabling measurable value creation, and aligning people strategy with business performance.

Dr Neetika Batra

Chair & Professor, Finance, SOIL Institute of Management, SRCC, Ex- Vice President, SBI Capital Markets

Former Vice President – Corporate Finance, SBI Capital Markets, with strong expertise in investment banking, fund syndication, issue management, and financial advisory.

Brings 30+ years of combined academic and industry experience across finance education, banking, strategy, and leadership roles.

Served as Dean & Professor (Finance) at SOIL, leading flagship management programs and research initiatives in banking, finance, and sustainability.

Currently serves as Independent Director on corporate boards including Metalman Auto Ltd., Munjal Showa Ltd., and Shivam Autotech Ltd., contributing to governance and strategic oversight.

Holds a PhD in Banking & Finance and MBA (Finance) from Delhi University, with B.Com (Hons.) from Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC).

Published researcher and case author with work focused on banking systems, priority sector lending, social finance, and financial inclusion.

Recognized for integrating academic rigor with real-world financial leadership and corporate governance expertise.

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Dr Sonali Narbariya

Scholar and Researcher working at the intersection of People Analytics, Digital Transformation, Leadership, and Change Management.

Former Postdoctoral Fellow at the Ashank Desai Centre for Leadership and Organizational Development (ADCLOD), Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, recipient of the prestigious Dr. R. H. Kulkarni Fellowship supported by the Murthy Family Foundation.

Previously served as Assistant Professor – School of Business Management, NMIMS Mumbai, teaching People Analytics, HR Analytics, HRIS, and Change Management.

Research focuses on data-driven workforce behavior, digital transformation, and organizational change readiness across industries.

Published researcher with contributions in reputed international academic journals in the areas of analytics and organizational systems.

Recipient of International Best Paper Awards, including recognition at the Information Systems Research Seminar in Scandinavia (IRIS), University of Oslo and the INDAM Conference (2025).

Recognized for advancing evidence-based HR practices, integrating analytics, technology, and leadership perspectives in management research and education.

Dr. Nagendra G. Hegde

Professor – Strategy & General Management
Indus Business Academy (IBA), Bengaluru

Dr. Nagendra G. Hegde is a senior academician and management educator with extensive experience in strategy, leadership, and general management education. He is associated with Indus Business Academy (IBA), one of India’s leading B-schools known for outcome-based management education.

Academic & Professional Expertise

• Strategy & General Management

• Organizational Leadership

• Business Policy

• Management Education & Research

• Corporate Training & Academic Consulting

Teaching & Academic Contributions

• Teaches MBA/PGDM students across core management and strategy domains

• Actively involved in curriculum development and academic mentoring

• Focuses on bridging theory with real business decision-making

Research & Thought Leadership

• Contributes to academic research, publications, and conferences in management studies

• Engages in institutional development initiatives and academic governance

Industry & Academic Engagement

• Experienced in executive education and management training programs

• Works closely with students on leadership development and career readiness

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Dr. Sorabh Bajaj

Professor – Finance, Fortune Institute of International Business (FIIB), New Delhi, contributing to academic leadership, finance education, and research-driven learning initiatives.

Holds a PhD in Finance, with strong academic specialization in Corporate Finance, Financial Markets, and Investment Analysis.

Brings extensive experience in teaching postgraduate management students, integrating theoretical finance concepts with real-world industry applications.

Actively involved in curriculum design, academic mentoring, and experiential learning initiatives aligned with evolving financial industry practices.

Research interests include Corporate Finance, Banking & Financial Services, Financial Markets, and Investment Management, with publications and conference contributions in reputed academic forums.

Teaches courses in Corporate Finance, Financial Management, Investment Analysis, and Financial Markets, preparing students for careers in banking, consulting, and financial services sectors.

Recognized for promoting industry-oriented finance education, combining analytical rigor, case-based pedagogy, and applied financial decision-making.

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Amit Das

• Professor & Senior Associate Dean – Graduate Programmes,, Ahmedabad University, leading academic programs and graduate education initiatives.

• PhD from the University of Minnesota, PGDM from IIM Calcutta, and BTech from IIT Kharagpur.

• Brings 30+ years of post-PhD academic experience in teaching Data Science and Information Systems across undergraduate and graduate programs.

• Previously taught at Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), Qatar University, and Krea University, contributing to global management education.

• Research interests include Data Science, Information Systems, E-Business, and Decision-Making, with collaborations across public, private, and development sectors.

• Published research in reputed journals such as Management Science, Strategic Management Journal, Information Systems Frontiers, and International Small Business Journal.

• Teaches courses in Business Analytics, Data Science, Statistical Methods, Information Systems, and Project Management across management programs.

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Dr. Nitin Garg

• Director and Founding Member – International School of Management Excellence (ISME), Bangalore, and part of the NVT Quality Educational Trust that established ISME as a leading business school in India.

• Alumnus of IIT Bombay (B.Tech & M.Tech) and MBA from Carnegie Mellon University (USA); currently pursuing Ph.D. from IIM Lucknow.

• Brings extensive experience in technology and management consulting, including working as a Senior Member at Deloitte Consulting, Philadelphia (USA), handling strategic analysis, process design, rollout strategies, and change management projects.

• Certified SAP Enterprise Buyer and Ariba Consultant, with additional training in IT systems and ISO 9000 quality management.

• Serves as Lead Faculty for global management simulation programs at ISME, including the Management Game in collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University and the Business Strategy Game in partnership with the University of Alabama, USA.

• Co-founder of NVT Group companies, contributing significantly to building industry-aligned and experiential management education.

• Research interests include Corporate Strategy, Pricing, Product Innovation, and Entrepreneurship.

Dr. Rahul Pratap Singh Kaurav

Associate Professor – FORE School of Management, New Delhi, contributing to marketing education, research excellence, and analytics-driven management learning initiatives.

Holds a PhD in Management, with academic specialization in Marketing Management, Services Marketing, and Marketing Analytics.

Brings extensive experience in teaching, research, consultancy, and faculty development, integrating marketing theory with data-driven decision-making approaches.

Actively involved in research methodology training and analytics education, supporting scholars and management students in quantitative and qualitative research practices.

Certified trainer in advanced research and analytics tools including SPSS, Jamovi, NVivo, MAXQDA, and Bibliometric Analysis, promoting evidence-based marketing research.

Has served as Adjunct/Visiting Faculty with international and national institutions including University of Liverpool (UK), BITS Pilani, and Taylor’s University (Malaysia), contributing to global management education exposure.

Research interests include Marketing Analytics, Consumer Behaviour, Services Marketing, and Research Methodology, with publications and academic contributions in reputed journals and conferences.

Teaches courses in Marketing Management, Marketing Research, Services Marketing, and Analytics, preparing students for careers in consulting, marketing strategy, and business analytics.

Dr. Pratima Verma

• Professor & Area Chair – Human Resource Management, Alliance School of Business, Alliance University, contributing to academic leadership, HR education, and research-driven learning initiatives.

• PhD in Values Based Management from WISDOM, Banasthali, and MBA from Lucknow University, with post-doctoral research exposure at Stockholm School of Business, Stockholm University (Sweden).

• Brings extensive academic experience in Human Resource Management, Organizational Behavior, HR Analytics, Psychometrics, and Research Methodology, integrating ethics and sustainability perspectives into management education.

• Served as Visiting Faculty at IIM Ranchi and IIM Kozhikode, contributing to advanced management teaching and research collaborations.

• Research interests include Sustainable HRM, Ethics Training, Organizational Culture, Spirituality in Management, and Corporate Citizenship, with publications in reputed ABDC and Scopus-indexed journals including Journal of Business Ethics.

• Recipient of Best Professor in HRM Award by Times Ascent & World HRD Congress and multiple Best Paper Awards at national and PAN-IIM academic conferences.

• Actively engages with industry through leadership development and HR training programs for organizations such as Toyota Kirloskar, TVS Group, ITC Ltd., Titan, and First American, promoting industry-aligned HR education.

Dr Sonali Narbariya

Scholar and Researcher working at the intersection of People Analytics, Digital Transformation, Leadership, and Change Management.

Former Postdoctoral Fellow at the Ashank Desai Centre for Leadership and Organizational Development (ADCLOD), Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, recipient of the prestigious Dr. R. H. Kulkarni Fellowship supported by the Murthy Family Foundation.

Previously served as Assistant Professor – School of Business Management, NMIMS Mumbai, teaching People Analytics, HR Analytics, HRIS, and Change Management.

Research focuses on data-driven workforce behavior, digital transformation, and organizational change readiness across industries.

Published researcher with contributions in reputed international academic journals in the areas of analytics and organizational systems.

Recipient of International Best Paper Awards, including recognition at the Information Systems Research Seminar in Scandinavia (IRIS), University of Oslo and the INDAM Conference (2025).

Recognized for advancing evidence-based HR practices, integrating analytics, technology, and leadership perspectives in management research and education.

Prof. Dr. Swapna Pradhan

Dean – Academics (Full-Time Programs)
Prin. L. N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research (WeSchool)

Prof. Dr. Swapna Pradhan is a senior academic leader and management educator with extensive experience in business design, cross-disciplinary management education, and curriculum innovation. As Dean – Academics, she plays a key role in shaping WeSchool’s academic philosophy focused on industry relevance, experiential learning, and future-ready management education.

She has been actively involved in designing innovative pedagogy models, integrating management education with emerging business practices, and promoting interdisciplinary learning frameworks aligned with evolving industry needs.

Academic & Leadership Contributions

• Leads academic strategy and execution for full-time PGDM programs

• Drives curriculum innovation aligned with business design thinking

• Promotes experiential, project-based, and application-oriented learning

• Supports industry–academia collaboration initiatives

• Mentors faculty and students toward research, innovation, and leadership development

Areas of Interest

• Business Design & Innovation

• Cross-disciplinary Management Education

• Academic Leadership & Curriculum Development

• Experiential Learning Models

Under her academic leadership, WeSchool continues to strengthen its positioning as a design-thinking driven B-school focused on innovation, entrepreneurship, and industry integration.