- IIMA’s The Red Brick Summit 2025 concludes after three power-packed days of global participation, visionary dialogues, and record engagement
NE EDUCATION BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, OCT 7
The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) brought the curtains down on its flagship management symposium, The Red Brick Summit (TRBS) 2025, on a high note after three dynamic days (Oct 3–5) of competitions, masterclasses, and thought leadership sessions. Centered around the theme “Days of Disruption,” this year’s summit witnessed over 20,000 registrations across competitions and workshops on the Unstop platform and 500+ participants on campus, marking a record-breaking edition that reflected IIMA’s growing global reach — with students from its newly opened Dubai campus joining virtually.
Visionary Voices: Steering Through Change
Inaugurated by Prof. Bharat Bhasker, Director, IIMA, TRBS 2025 hosted a galaxy of distinguished speakers who inspired attendees to reimagine leadership, innovation, and resilience in a fast-changing world.
- Day 1 opened with Mr. Manish Chhabra, Chairman, Hygienic Research Institute Pvt. Ltd., sharing insights on building dominant FMCG brands through strategic market leadership. Mr. Robbin Sharrma, Founder-Director, ShowTime Consulting and co-founder of I-PAC and CAG, captivated audiences with behind-the-scenes narratives of India’s most impactful political campaigns.
- Day 2 spotlighted high-stakes leadership and technology. Mr. Pankaj Singh, Former DG, BSF and Dy NSA, offered a masterclass on national security and crisis management in his session “White Spaces in Grey Zones.” Later, Mr. Rohan Choudhary, SVP & GM, Glance AI Labs, explored the “Future of Intelligence,” highlighting AI’s transformative impact on consumer engagement.
- Day 3 delved into global technology and corporate legacy, with Mr. Swapan Johri, President, Growth Markets, HCLTech, and Mr. Prabhakar Appana, SVP & Global Head, AWS Business Unit, discussing “The Future is Cloud and Global Growth.” A panel featuring Mr. Varun Jhaveri, Managing Partner, Evernile, and Mr. Aditya Raj Kaul, Senior Executive Editor, NDTV, dissected “Where Geopolitics Meets Investment.” The summit concluded with Mr. Mithun Chittilappilly, MD, V-Guard Industries, narrating the inspiring “V-Guard Story,” tracing his company’s evolution from a family-run venture to a listed enterprise.
Learning by Doing: Workshops and Competitions
From strategy to sound design, the summit’s hands-on workshops resonated with the spirit of innovation. Notable sessions included Design Thinking by Prof. Amit Karna, Unboxing Consulting by Pratik Ranjan (BCG), and Algorithmic Art by Abhinay Khoparzi. Creative explorations such as Storytelling through Poetry and Sound Design by Baan G and Vidhaat Raman, and The Creator-AI Disruption in Marketing highlighted the fusion of technology and creativity.
TRBS 2025 also hosted high-stakes competitions testing participants’ acumen across domains — from Product Wizards by EXL to Gathbandhan (SBI), FinDisrupt, Kotler’s Conundrum, OpStrat, and social innovation contests like Sustain 3.0 and Parivarthan.
A Celebration of Ideas, Art, and Energy
Beyond intellectual exchange, TRBS was a carnival of creativity — with events like GraffITtu (campus art jam), Can You Sell This?, and A Day at IIMA offering participants a taste of life at India’s top management institute. Open-air performances, stand-up acts, and the Classical Dance x DJ Fusion finale at the CR Lawns created an electrifying atmosphere that blended intellect with joy.
As Prof. Bhasker remarked, “TRBS 2025 exemplifies how management education can stay ahead of disruption by merging knowledge, creativity, and collaboration across borders.”
With its unparalleled participation and forward-looking theme, The Red Brick Summit 2025 reaffirmed IIMA’s position as a global epicenter of thought leadership and innovation — preparing future leaders to thrive in an era defined by disruption.
