Panel Discussion On `Analytics Landscape - 2025’ and workshop on `Business Analytics With R Language - An Application Oriented Training’

A two-day National Conference on Application of Analytics in Business Re-engineering by the Department of Commerce and Management Studies began on 6th March 2020 and will continue till 7th March 2020 at Central Block, CHRIST, (Deemed to be University), Lavasa.

The first day event was anchored by Malaika Maini and Harsh Shah. It began with glimpses of life as a Christite through a video which was an amalgamation of various events conducted at CHRIST, Lavasa in 2019-20 academic session.

It can be said that in today’s world data is a commodity and it's value is of incalculable importance and analytics is equally important because it is truly changing the world. Whether it is in sports, business, or just day-to-day activities of human life, data analytics has changed the way  for people. This is the new age of data and it has unlimited potential. It is hoped that the conference will help revamp the field of business with the use of analytics.

The pre-conference note was given by Assistant Professor, Shubhashree Acharya. She mentioned that there is an inundation of data which is available and might appear overwhelming but it should be used in an optimum way. She said that all educational institutions must be active participants and not mere beneficiaries as they make efforts to prepare students for the business world. In doing so the students will learn and unlearn lots of concepts.

It was followed by a presentation by Synergy Nature Club. The mesmerizing video captured the pristine beauty of Lavasa city. The anchor said that nature is an important and integral part of mankind. It is one of the greatest blessings for human life, and to ensure that, the faculty and students of CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Lavasa have come up with a great initiative of forming a Synergy Nature Club in the campus. The preparations for the club began in the month of August after a lot of planning and brainstorming sessions.

The club has healthy participation from all the sections of Commerce and Management and consists of 10 core members from BBA and B Com. Then an overview account of the objectives, mission and vision of Nature Club was explained in a systematic way. The sole aim was to nurture habits of a peaceful and harmonious coexistence with nature.  The core committee members were also introduced on the stage.

Then, Director & Dean, Dr Fr Jossy George congratulated the entire department for their maiden venture. Fr Jossy expressed immense pleasure to inaugurate the conference as he witnessed two events being inaugurated namely the panel discussion as part of national conference and inauguration of Nature Club. He considered each one of them to be an important pillar of an institute. He asserted that as new insights are introduced in a college, it brings with it a change in perception. Fr Jossy added that every educational institute ought to implement emerging technology and he further articulated that technology cannot be confined to institutions rather it should be made a part of daily life.

He mentioned that a panel discussion, as part of a national conference, gives an opportunity to derive new insights in the field of technology. He was highly appreciative of the formation of Nature Club. Fr Jossy considers Lavasa to be right place to initiate such a club as it can make a difference in the outlook of the residents. He further requested the audience to continue making efforts to preserve nature in its glory and spread their enthusiasm beyond the confines of Lavasa.

It can be rightly articulated that in today’s contemporary, competitive and vibrant business world the knowledge of research methods, data analytics, statistical tools and techniques is extremely indispensable. Today, the role of business has moved much beyond in organizations from a transaction-oriented cost center to a value-added business partnership approach. Use of technology generates a huge amount of data about people, process and business in an organization. Business Analytics has become one of the main functional areas in most companies. Analytics has played a critical role in this voyage of business transformation from being just a subsidiary division of a business to being a strong pillar of support behind the success of business enterprise.

Educationalists know that higher educational institutions across the country have introduced Business Analytics as a subject or specialization in their curriculum especially in the area of management and engineering. This conference will introduce the academia to the various Business Analytics tools and techniques and its applications related to fact-based decision making. The emphasis of the conference is also to provide a platform for academics and researchers to interact and share their understanding and application of various analytical software.

The sole objectives of the conference were to offer an insightful review of tools and techniques related to business analytics and business intelligence among academicians and practitioners. These business applications will help recreate and reengineer business for optimum results. It also aimed to provide a platform for distinguished academicians, practitioners and researchers from around the world by facilitating dissemination of knowledge on business analytics, big data and business intelligence.

After the formal introduction an array of panelists from diverse fields took part in a high level panel discussion on `'Analytics Landscape - 2025’ at Central Block, Auditorium from 11.50 AM to 1.30 PM. The panelists were Dr C Muthu, Head- Data Science, Loyola College, Chennai, Mr Bastin Robin, Chief Data Scientist, Menlo Park, Mr Vinodh Prabhu B, Managing Director, Seventh Sense Talent Solutions, Bengaluru, Mr Rajesh Jakhotia, Founder, K2Analytics, Thane, Mumbai and Mr Manjunath Nallapeta, Senior Program Manager, Amazon India, Bengaluru. The Moderator was Dr Geetha M Rajaram, Principal, Global Institute of Management Science, Bengaluru.

Later in the day Dr Dinesh Babu R, Managing Director, Brainswig Pvt. Ltd, Chennai conducted a workshop on 'Business Analytics With R Language - An Application Oriented Training’ at Central Block, Computer Lab from 2.30 PM to 7.00 PM.

The well-coordinated venture by Department of Commerce and Management Studies saw participation on a large scale. The conference was attended by educationists, academicians, faculty members, research scholars, post-doctoral / doctorate/ graduates, industry managers, administrators, business professionals, practitioners or consultants. It provided a platform to a wide spectrum of people to showcase knowledge in areas of interest. They also got a chance to network and interact with scholars from industry and academics. The added benefit included hands-on experience on analytics by eminent practitioners from the industry and above all an opportunity to publish research work in Scopus Indexed Journal. It was efficiently coordinated by Dr Guru.

The day ended on a positive note as views and ideas were shared and the audience took keen interest in the discussions.