15th International Research Conference 2025 (IRC-2025)

Business Dynamics: Integrating Digitization and Sustainability in Management Practices
Date: Friday, February 21, 2025
Venue: IES’s Management College and Research Centre, Mumbai

The 15th International Research Conference (IRC) 2025 successfully convened on February 21, 2025, bringing together thought leaders, industry experts, and academicians to explore the intersection of digitization and sustainability in management practices.

The event was graced by Mr. Khushru Mistry, CTO, GM Modular, as the Chief Guest, and Dr. Uta Milow, Head of MBA Programs, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland FHNW, as the Guest of Honor.

Representing the IES Leadership Team, the event was honoured by the presence of Mr. Sagar Sule (President, IES), Mr. Sameer Tamhane (Chairman, IES MCRC), and Dr. Sapna Modi (Director, IES MCRC). Dr. Mrunal Joshi, Convener of IRC 2025, set the tone for the conference by explaining the rationale behind this year’s theme.

A major highlight of the conference was the panel discussion moderated by Mr. Vikram Kharvi, CEO, Bloomingdale PR. The esteemed panelists included:

• Mr. Dada Sargar (Regional Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility, Aster DM Healthcare, India)
• Mr. Rathin Kumar Banerjee (Independent Director, Rishabh Instruments Ltd.)
• Mr. Vikash Garg (AVP, Rerout – subsidiary of Dalmia Polypro Industries Pvt. Ltd.)

The discussion delved into the delicate balance between technological advancements and sustainable business strategies, emphasizing ethical challenges, economic feasibility, and long-term business resilience.

Mr. Alexander Goundour, Founder of InkMyWeb and Representative of WordPress, Mumbai Chapter, conducted an insightful session on personal branding and online presence management, equipping attendees with strategies to navigate the digital space effectively.

With an overwhelming response from researchers worldwide, the conference featured 70 research paper presentations across 9 parallel tracks, covering diverse aspects of digitization and sustainability. The breakdown included 30 in-person presentations and 40 online presentations, reflecting the conference’s hybrid and inclusive approach.

To foster a research-driven culture, IES MCRC’s IRC 2025 recognized outstanding research contributions through the Best Paper Awards, distributed as follows:

• Academia/Researchers: Three awards with cash prizes of ₹15,000, ₹10,000, and ₹5,000
• Students: Two awards with cash prizes of ₹10,000 and ₹7,500

Winners were honored with Best Paper Certificates, acknowledging their valuable contributions to academic discourse.

The conference concluded with a valedictory session, followed by high tea and networking, offering attendees a platform to exchange ideas, discuss future collaborations, and build industry-academia partnerships. Dr. Ritu Sinha and Dr. Maithili Dhuri, Co-conveners, IRC-2025 extended Vote of Thanks in the morning and afternoon session respectively.

The discussions and presentations underscored the following critical insights:

• Digitization and sustainability must go hand in hand to create future-ready businesses.
• The economic and ethical challenges of integrating technology with sustainability require businesses to adopt a balanced approach.
• Organizations must move beyond greenwashing and embrace authentic, data-driven sustainable practices.
• Academic research and industry collaboration play a crucial role in developing scalable and sustainable business solutions.

Overall, the 15th IRC 2025 witnessed strong engagement from industry professionals, researchers, and students, reinforcing the importance of continued dialogue and collaboration in driving sustainable business innovations.

The Organizing Committee extends heartfelt gratitude to all speakers, participants, and partners for their contributions. A special thanks to the Leadership Team of IES and IES MCRC for their unwavering support throughout the conference. We look forward to future editions of IRC, further advancing digital and sustainable business transformations.

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Literary Awards for Academia

1.       Best Paper Award – Certificate and Cash Award of Rs. 15,000

Ms. Glancy Albuquerque and Mr. Rajeev Mansing Kamble

Title - Cultural Influence on Team Dynamics: Examining Hofstede’s Masculinity-Femininity & Positive Risk Management in IT Projects

2.       Best Paper Award – First Runner-up – Certificate and Cash Award of Rs. 10,000

Ms. Shivali Yadav, Dr. Rita Shokeen

Title - A Study on Green Human Resource Management Practices and its effect on Employee Motivation and Organisational Commitment

3.       Best Paper Award – Second Runner-up – Certificate and Cash Award of Rs. 5,000

The position is shared between two researchers.

a.       Ms. Nisha Dolas

Title - A Critical Evaluation of Doctor’s Attitude towards Bharatiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana

b.      Ms. Sneha Vaskar and Ms. Aahana Kanakia

Title - Understanding Eco-Anxiety and its Role in Shaping Sustainable Behaviour in Mumbai's Suburban Regions

4.       Best Paper - Special Research Recognition Jury Award (In-house) – Certificate and Memento

a.       Ms. Nicole D’Silva

Title - Economic Expansion vs. Environmental Health: Mapping India’s Urban

Trade-Offs

Student Research Paper Awards

1.       Best Student Paper Award – Certificate and Cash Award of Rs. 10,000

Ms. Madhavi Bhaskar Sonawane

Title - Breast Cancer Predication Using Machine Learning

2.       Best Student Paper Award – First Runner-up – Certificate and Cash Award of Rs. 7,500

Ms. Tanvi Gawde

Title - A Study on Role of Financial Models in Predicting Economic Downturn

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