Interestingly, it’s kind of unique about the New Year that it brings high hopes, challenges, and new milestones for change and growth. And, people are all geared up with full-on energy and motivation. It usually marks the beginning of thoughts that are new, refreshing, and full of innovative ideas. And LPU, following the legacy of being recognized for its latest researches, inventions, and innovations, is also back with the 2021’s first and most enlightening Innovation Summit with the most successful and prominent personalities from across the globe. Yes, a two-day virtual ‘LPU’s Innovation Summit 2021’ was happily hosted by the university with global industry leaders to ignite the spark of innovation and encourage young minds to go wild with business ideas in this digital era.
Day 1 of the innovation summit kick-started with the host welcoming Ms. Erica Abrams (Co-Founder, Animal Aid Limited) for a crisp conversation on the animal safety issues and highlighting the current situation. Talking of the persisting pandemic, Ms. Abrams said, “Though it has proven to be devastating for the entire world, it has helped the wildlife across the planet. We have seen a decline in the daily number of accident cases with decreased pollution and traffic. Also, people have been kind to street animals like never before. They have fed them with food, provided them with temporary shelters, and have enabled their survival amid these conditions.” Later in their discussion, conferring about how she came to India and got settled, Ms. Abrams said, “I was surprised to see the love, care, and the tolerance that the street animals received from shopkeepers, neighbours, and people around them. Unlike the other countries, India’s constitution obliging all citizens to show compassion for all living beings played a crucial role in starting Animal Aid Limited. It was something that burst my childhood love for pets and led me to start the animal protection organization.” Adding to her statements, she said that the journey wasn’t that fruitful as it seems, but, yes, it was worth it.
As Day 1 progressed, the host invited Mr. Amit S. Lokhande, Innovator cum Entrepreneur and Research Scholar at the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, to hear his innovative views and the journey behind his success. The young entrepreneur, starting with his discussion, questioned the virtual crowd, why innovation and entrepreneurship? What stops one from working on his/her idea? And what are the barriers that one has to overcome in the initial phases of his/her journey? With these questions on board, Mr. Amit explained the process of entrepreneurship and said that it’s more than being innovative. He said, “we need to understand that it’s a process and not a one-day game that anyone can master. Starting this journey of innovation and entrepreneurship, we shouldn’t let perfect become the enemy of good. Instead, we should be more focused on making our good to perfect in due course of time.” Moving further with his live seminar, he said that our 1st attempt doesn’t need to make us successful, but, yes, our start should focus on long term visions, and we must be ready to face all barriers coming our way. He said, before commencing, we need to understand the business model canvas so that our journey yields a fruitful outcome. And, we, in the end, get the desired benefits of traveling the entrepreneurship journey.
The crowd concluded Day 1 by hearing out the other two eminent speakers, Mr. Balbir Singh Seechewlaa (Environmentalist) and Mr. Sahil Khanna (Digital Marketer and YouTuber). Both the speakers preached to the crowd in their area of expertise.
After a thriving Day 1, the crowd at LPU geared up to attend the super insightful and exclusive Day 2 of LPU’s Innovation Summit 2021 with the industry’s most prominent and successful personalities! Day 2 allowed the listeners of the summit to interact and learn about intriguing topics with speakers like Mr. Avnish Sabharwal (Managing Director, Accenture Ventures) and Mr. Damodar Sahi (Head-Global Strategic Alliances, Wipro, Digital Strategist, and World Peace Ambassador).
In the first session of the day, Mr. Avnish enlightened the crowd with his views and study on ‘Innovation in the Never Normal Era.’ Describing the persisting phase as ‘never normal,’ Avnish stressed that in the post-pandemic era, it would be tough and challenging for the industries to compete and survive in the market. Accentuating the changes in consumer behavior due to COVID-19, he said, will be a crucial factor determining the scope of businesses and innovations soon.
As the summit headed towards the second half, it acknowledged the presence of Mr. Damodar Sahi. Mr. Sahi explained the ‘Role of a Digital Marketing Strategist in Achieving the Objectives of Business.’ He said, “Dear listeners, the only success mantra which I know, and has helped many, is, never give up, never be hopeless, believe in yourself, and be positive. Always remember that you need to market yourself to be of value in this modern society.” Adding to his statements, Mr. Sahi said, “We must stand firm in our decisions and try to be a yogi instead of being a bhogi.” He believes, to create a successful business, we must update ourselves with the latest trends and connect with as many people as possible. We must analyze the market and share insights with the stakeholders. According to him, learning never ends, and one must transform every single day. Towards the end, the speaker gave a beautiful message, that always stand for yourself and maintain your integrity to the highest level. There is no such thing as less time, as we all have 24 hours. It’s just that we must learn to prioritize and keep things going. Don’t take life too intricate keep it simple.
