CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar (XIMB) hosted Stratonomics 2025, the annual business conclave organized by Constrat — the Consulting and Strategy Consortium of XIM Bhubaneswar.
This year’s theme was “Beyond Barriers: Redefining Differentiation in the Era of Hyper-Competition.”
Distinguished guests and XIMB alumni including Harsh Shah (Senior Product Manager, OpenTable), Ankush Arora (Chief Human Resources Officer, TBO.com), Tapan Mishra (Consulting Partner, Wipro), Siju Narayan (Chief Experience Officer, Rex Emptor Consult LLP), and Suman Shastri (Vice President – AI Acceleration, Everest Group) were present. The proceedings were conducted by the esteemed Professor Francis Thomas Castelino.
The conclave began with the ceremonial lamp lighting.
The first speaker, Harsh Shah, discussed how traditional barriers to entry have evolved and highlighted the true drivers of growth today. He spoke about the new basis of competition and how organizations stay relevant. Referring to Microsoft, Salesforce, Oracle, and OpenTable through the lens of the competitive triad, he emphasized:
“Partnership is not just about acquisition but about delivering value together.”
The second speaker, Ankush Arora, reflected on his XIMB experience. He stressed that today’s differentiation lies not in offerings but in how organizations stand out, respond, and build internal capability. He highlighted culture, purpose, trust, talent, and agility as core pillars of excellence, noting:
“Culture, purpose, agility, experience, and trust will be the new differentiators in competition.”
The third speaker, Tapan Mishra, spoke about consulting as the art of crafting innovative solutions that make a meaningful difference for clients. Drawing from his experience at Wipro, he emphasized the five guiding principles organizations must uphold—trust, ethics, purpose, core values, and retention of principles. He reinforced:
“Earning client trust ethically is most important.”
The fourth speaker, Siju Narayan, shared insights from his career journey, emphasizing that customer experience (CX) is the ultimate differentiator. He spoke about the shift from manufacturing-led to customer-driven eras and highlighted how customer obsession is essential to winning today. He noted:
“The new-age focus is enhancing customer experience.”
Finally, the last speaker, Suman Shastri, expressed gratitude to XIMB and reflected on his memorable experiences. He discussed transformation from Now → New → Next, and how A3 (Automation, AI, Agents) is reshaping consulting. He also explained the Five-D Framework — Direction, Design, Decisions, Delivery, and Durability. As he remarked:
“Build your edge by sharpening new skills, solving real problems, and staying informed about innovations.”
The conclave concluded with an interactive Q&A session and a panel discussion led by Professor Castelino, summarizing the day’s key insights. Following this, Constrat Coordinator Asjad Malik delivered the vote of thanks, expressing gratitude to the speakers and participants.
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