Ahmedabad, 7th January, 2026 – The Institute of Management, Nirma University (IMNU), inaugurated its flagship 29th Nirma International Conference on Management (NICOM 2026). The session commenced with a spiritual Saraswati Vandana and the ceremonial Lighting of the Lamp, graced by the presence of Padma Shri Dr. Karsanbhai K Patel, President, Nirma University, alongside Vice President Shri K K Patel and Director General Dr. Anup K Singh. Setting the stage for the conference theme, ‘Management Challenges: People, Practice, and Progress,’ the event featured welcome address by Dr. Nityesh Bhatt and context setting by Dr. Nina Muncherji. The inaugural proceedings concluded with Dr. Karsanbhai K Patel presenting a memento to the Chief Guest, affirming the university’s appreciation for industry collaboration.
In his keynote address, Chief Guest Mr. Sandeep Engineer, CMD of Astral Limited, captivated the audience with a powerful narrative of resilience and lifelong learning. He shared his personal journey from a lower-middle-class background, overcoming early failures and near-bankruptcy to build a globally successful enterprise. Emphasizing the “People” aspect of the conference theme, he highlighted that organizations grow through the few individuals who stick to the core during challenging times. He further inspired the students by revealing his recent achievement of earning a Harvard degree at the age of 60, proving that progress is a continuous pursuit regardless of age.