Speaker Series
The Distinguished Speaker Series at DSU is a university level initiative with a global focus. The program strives to bring industry leaders to the portals of Dayananda Sagar University Industry leaders address our students on invitation on a wide variety of areas spanning management, engineering, social sciences, biological sciences, humanities and art.
Tech Beyond Techies: The New Language of Every Entrepreneur
As part of the Thursday Club’s Distinguished Speaker Series and under the banner of COPE Entrepreneurship, the School of Commerce and Management Studies (SCMS), Dayananda Sagar University, hosted a highly engaging virtual session on November 20, 2025, featuring Dr Siddharth Pai, Founder and Managing Partner at Siana Capital and Tekinroads.
In his thought-provoking lecture titled “Tech Beyond Techies: The New Language of Every Entrepreneur,” Dr Pai shared insights from his 35-year global career, tracing his journey from finance to technology. He spoke about how technology has evolved from being a back-end function to becoming the very heart of modern business, influencing everything from customer experience to strategy and leadership.
Dr Pai emphasised that technology is no longer the domain of engineers alone. Entrepreneurs and managers today must develop tech fluency—the ability to understand, question, and leverage technology for innovation and value creation. He urged MBA students to go beyond surface-level familiarity and truly understand how tools such as AI, data analytics, fintech, and automation are transforming industries.
He discussed India’s rapid pace of digital adoption, citing examples such as UPI and ChatGPT, which have redefined accessibility and productivity. Dr. Pai also underlined the importance of unit economics, product thinking, and using communication that connects emotionally with customers—summed up in his simple yet profound idea: the power of saying “for you” in business conversations.
The session concluded with a lively Q&A, where students explored topics such as AI’s impact on business models, digital ethics, and how non-tech founders can build tech-driven ventures.
The session, attended by over 130 participants, was hosted by Capt. A. Nagaraj Subbarao, Ph.D., Dean – SCMS, and reinforced COPE Entrepreneurship’s vision of preparing students to thrive at the intersection of technology, innovation, and business leadership.
SCMS DSU hosts Business Standard Insight Talks with Renowned Entrepreneur Mr C.K. Kumaravel on 7th August
On August 7, 2025, School of Commerce and Management Studies, Dayananda Sagar University as a part of COPE- Entrepreneurship under Distinguished Speaker Series hosted an inspiring edition of the Business Standard Insight Talks series with renowned entrepreneur and co-founder of Naturals Salon & Spa, Mr. C.K. Kumaravel, as the chief guest. With his trademark wit and humour, Mr. Kumaravel shared his entrepreneurial journey, highlighting how his wife founded Naturals and how he joined her vision as a co-founder. He also spoke about his father’s pioneering role in introducing the sachet revolution in India, which reshaped the FMCG sector.
Emphasizing the importance of rational decision-making, he reminded students that entrepreneurship is all about solving real-world problems and serving society. In a fireside chat with Dean- SCMS, Capt. A. Nagaraj Subbarao, PhD about his earlier brand ‘Velvet,’ Mr. Kumaravel confidently stated, “It didn’t fail - it was a learning experience.” He also spoke about four women who shaped his life and played a significant role in his life to achieve success: his mother, his wife, his teacher during college days, and Ms Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop. Addressing the young student entrepreneurs in the audience, he remarked that disruption in any industry often comes from an outsider. To support this, he cited examples of visionary Indian and global entrepreneurs including Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla, Nykaa’s Falguni Nayar, and Zomato’s Deepinder Goyal, each of whom challenged the norm and transformed their sectors.
The session featured an engaging Q&A round with students, followed by the Business Standard Star Campus Reporter award distribution for the month of June. The awards were presented together by Dean Capt. A Nagaraj Subbarao, PhD and Mr. CK Kumaravel, along with the Business Standard team composed of Deputy General Manager- Market Development - Mr. S Jayaraam, to winners from MBA program - Ms Sreelekha P A and Ms S. Sri Sivani for their consistent and exceptional campus reporting skills throughout. A token of appreciation was presented to Mr. C K Kumaravel by the Dean - Capt. A. Nagaraj Subbarao, Ph.D. The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Silky Sharma and smoothly coordinated by Prof. Mohan Srinivasan, and MBA student coordinators Ms Spoorthi and Mr Adithya K. The session left the audience energized and motivated for their own entrepreneurial paths.
Distinguished Speaker Series / Social Entrepreneurship
SCMS PG will host Venkatesh Raghavendra, (Venky). He is a renowned Social Entrepreneur who has worked across several globally known institutions and focussed on India, despite his US base. He has had extensive field experience in Karnataka and other parts of India as well.
Venky has organised courses at O P Jindal University, Georgetown University and Johns Hopkins University and brings an international perspective , with a practitioner focus, to subjects bearing on Law and the Environment, social entrepreneurship and climate change. His speaking and teaching engagements include universities such as Georgetown University, Syracuse University’s Maxwell School, UCLA, Wharton School of Business, IIM Bangalore, SP Jain Institute of Management among others.
Venkatesh holds a Masters in Social Justice from School for International Training, Vermont and an iDBA from the Lisbon School of Economics and Management [ISEG], Portugal.
Workshop on “Project Management for Industry 4.0” by Prof. Chaminda Hettiarachchi
A workshop on “Project Management for Industry 4.0” was conducted from May 20- May 24, 2024 under the guidance of Dean-SCMS Capt. A. Nagaraj Subbarao for MBA students to enhance their knowledge and learning about Project Management for Industry 4.0.
Prof. Chaminda Hettiarachchi, who is a Co-Founder and a Director at FabLanka Foundation, was the resource person for the workshop. Prof. Chaminda is also is the CEO/Managing Director at Dil Consultancy, a research and management consultancy company based in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Key learnings from the workshop
Industry 4.0 represents the current phase of technological advancement in manufacturing and production, characterized by the integration of cyber-physical systems, the Internet of Things (IoT), and cloud computing.
Developing New Managers
Management is distinguished as the level of supervision between the entry level employees and organizational leaders. Residing between effective leadership and efficient employees, effective managers are critical to organizational success. Different paths to becoming a manager exist—either through the ranks or through outside accomplishments. Managers must have certain knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) to be able to achieve organizational goals and engage employees. Lacking these KSAs, managers will need basic or advanced training, depending on their place within an organization. The training of managers should be an ongoing process, even as managers become proficient at basic levels of business acumen. All managers should be concerned with management development—in terms of both their own and their subordinates' advancement. With our training workshops working executives will be provided the skills they need to succeed as managers in a complex world. By identifying prospective managers early and identifying a clear management track, your company will prosper and thrive with a solid development structure. Becoming a new manager can seem like a daunting and challenging task. To overcome these hurdles let us create an environment where employees know what is expected of them.
With our training, program your employees will gain the support, best practices, and knowledge that is essential for a new manager. The training workshops will help your company develop well rounded, fair and confident managers. By identifying early you will be able to groom prospective candidates and provide the best chance for success.
We can assist you in a wide variety of areas from developing high performing teams, leadership, communication, sales & marketing, sales enablement, finance and operations.
We customize training programs for your specific needs.
Learning and development’s impact on the success of an organization can be significant. You can be assured your corporate training programs will be successful when you have the right training development partner.
The center will cater to executing customized training programs on a need based basis, after carrying out an analysis. Our unique five step approach will add immense value to your organization in terms of enhanced intellectual capital.
Step 1:
We start by analyzing your operating environment, your business and development challenges, and your training-specific needs. Together, we will articulate your development goals and define your overall expectations. And you can rest assured that your input will be central to the process from beginning to end.
Step 2:
During this second step, we choose the people who will lead your training program: the faculty members, experts and/or other specialists who will be working directly with your employees to bring your customized program to life. Based on your predefined objectives and your company’s profile, we will develop the structure and content of your program so that it fits your business and your employees like a glove. It is at this stage that we will determine which teaching methods are the most appropriate in the context.
Step 3:
The sessions can be held at your place of business, in our facilities or at another place of your choosing, here or anywhere else on the planet. Simply select the option that is the most convenient for you. We will ensure that all of the necessary elements are in place to facilitate learning and show participants how to apply their newly acquired knowledge in the workplace.
Step 4:
We will continuously assess and modify the program and pedagogy depending on your feedback. Your concerns will be addressed on an immediate basis.
Step 5:
Our faculty involved with the training program will stay in touch and mentor the trainees on a need basis that is mutually acceptable.
Step 6:
Our training programs offer the following takeaways.
You’ll see concrete improvements in such areas as:
- Overall employee engagement
- Motivation within a group to make a real and lasting difference
- Solutions to company-specific problems
- Integration of management practices acquired during the course
- Efficiency in workplace collaboration
- Technical and functional skill sets.
Benefits:
- Content that is directly relevant to your organizational challenges
- Experience-based learning approach
- Hand-picked instructors
- Program designed specifically to heighten your business’s productivity and impact
- Small groups (12 to 20 participants)
- The training program will be accredited with a certificate from Dayananda Sagar University – Centre for Executive Education.
