The Management Conclave 2026, Sambandh 3.0 themed Make in India, was organised by the Faculty of Management at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, with sponsorship from Jammu & Kashmir Bank Ltd. The conclave served as a platform to foster meaningful interaction between academia and industry, offering students valuable insights into contemporary management challenges and emerging economic opportunities linked to the Make in India and Skill India initiatives.The inaugural session began with the address by Dr. Arti Maini, Head, School of Business, who welcomed the dignitaries and participants and highlighted the importance of such initiatives in bridging the gap between classroom learning and industry exposure. Dr. Roop Lal Sharma, Head, School of Economics, emphasised the importance of interdisciplinary learning and collaboration between economics and management in addressing present-day business and policy challenges. Prof. Suparn Kumar Sharma, Co-coordinator of the programme, explained the objectives of the Management Conclave and highlighted that such platforms help students understand the corporate world, markets, industry trends and their linkages with society. Prof. Ashutosh Vashishtha, Dean, Faculty of Management, highlighted the importance of industry–academia interaction and noted that management education is undergoing significant transformation due to emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, sustainability and global economic shifts. Several plenary sessions were conducted in which experts shared their perspectives related to the theme ‘Make in India’. Mr. Tarun Sudan, Assistant Director, Handloom and Handicrafts, Government of J&K, highlighted the significance of promoting Made in India and discussed renowned GI-tagged products of the region including Basohli Painting, Chikri Wood Craft of the Pir Panjal region and Basohli Pashmina, while also emphasising the need to recognise and support artisans behind these crafts. Mr. Manav Chopra, Founder, Reinteria & Director, Creamy Bites, shared his entrepreneurial journey associated with Reinteria and spoke about the growth of Creamy Bites, an initiative started by his father that now provides employment to more than 250 people, emphasizing that businesses grow when they focus on solving real problems. Mr. Sourav Mengi, Assistant Manager, Centre for Innovation, Incubation & Business Modelling, JKEDI, highlighted the importance of skill development and entrepreneurship among youth. Mr. Vikrant Dogra, Chairman, Unati Agri Allied and Marketing Multistate Cooperative Society Ltd, spoke about ‘Unati’, a self-sustainable cooperative model and encouraged students to plan their professional goals with clarity and foresight. Dr. Deepika Sharma, Founder, Beyond the Books Learning Space, highlighted the importance of science, systems, scale and societal impact along with the role of frugal innovation in strengthening India’s position in global healthcare manufacturing.
A panel discussion on Skill India was also conducted where experts discussed the importance of skill development in enhancing employability and entrepreneurship opportunities for youth, while highlighting the need to align academic learning with practical industry requirements. The discussion was facilitated by Dr. Syeda Shazia Bukhari, Organising Secretary of the conclave, who moderated the session and encouraged meaningful interaction among the panelists and students. This conclave was organised under the inspiration and guidance of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Pragati Kumar. The conclave concluded with appreciation and acknowledgement of the support extended by the sponsor, Jammu & Kashmir Bank.