Upcoming Events

Please join us for an exclusive event on digital innovation and the future of open ecosystems in India. The keynote address by McKinsey & Company partner Kushe Bahl, lead for the McKinsey Digital and McKinsey Analytics practices in India, will explore how open and decentralized digital ecosystems can drive industry transformation and inclusion.
This will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Thampy Koshy, former Managing Director and CEO, Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), and other recognized experts and decision makers in India’s digital transformation. The discussion will focus on ONDC’s role in expanding opportunities for businesses—particularly micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs)—by breaking down barriers in the digital marketplace.
What You’ll Learn:
*How digital public infrastructure can create new opportunities for underserved communities and sectors.
*The impact of India’s digital innovation model on global conversations around open and inclusive digital economies.
*How entrepreneurs can leverage open platforms, such as ONDC, to grow and scale their businesses.
Schedule of Events
5:30-6 p.m.: Registration and Networking
6-6:10 p.m.: Introductions:
- Rachna Tahilyani, Director, Columbia Global Center Mumbai
- Gita Johar, Meyer Feldberg Professor of Business; Director, India Business Initiative
6:10-6:30 p.m.: Keynote Address:
- Kushe Bahl, Partner, McKinsey; Lead, McKinsey Digital and McKinsey Analytics Practices, India
6:30-6:50 p.m.: Audience Q&A
6:50-7 p.m.: Break
7-7:40 p.m.: Panelist Presentations and Discussion
- Thampy Koshy, former Managing Director and CEO, ONDC
- Anchit Nayar, CEO Beauty E-commerce, Nykaa
- Naiyya Saggi, founder, BabyChakra; co-founder, the Good Glamm Group
Moderated by: Gita Johar, Meyer Feldberg Professor of Business; Director, Chazen Institute India Business Initiative, Columbia Business School
7:40-8 p.m.: Audience Q&A
8-8:30 p.m.: Reception and Networking
Nand and Jeet Khemka Distinguished Speaker Forum
The Nand and Jeet Khemka Distinguished Speaker Forum, established in May 2008 by Board of Overseers member Nand L. Khemka '56 and his wife, Jeet, brings leaders in industry, commerce, finance, and government from India and around the globe to New York to share their perspective on India's growing economy and business policies.
India Business Initiative Events
Investing in a Net-Zero Future
January 12, 2023
This invitation-only forum featured research presentations by Chazen Senior Scholars Suresh Sundaresan and Bruce Usher, followed by a panel discussion with both scholars and Praveer Sinha, CEO and Managing Director, Tata Power Company. Namita Vikas, Founder and Managing Director, auctusESG, moderated.
Speeding Up Solvency: Bankruptcy Reform in India
January 17, 2019
This exclusive event featured top policymakers and business leaders analyzing one of India's most important reforms: The 2016 Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. Among the points discussed:
- Where bankruptcy reform stands now
- How US Bankruptcy Code and New Reformed Code in India compare
- Opportunities and challenges for corporate borrowers, ratings agency, banks, and bidders of troubled assets
- Lessons from cases already adjudicated under the reform
Enlightened Opportunity: Renewable Energy & Climate Policy in India
January 15, 2018 — Mumbai, India
An exclusive event in which two Columbia Business School professors present their research and debate with business leaders how India can create and finance a world-class renewable energy industry. Participants learned how to optimal way to transition into renewable energy without significant social costs and how to mitigate risk of investing in renewable energy solutions.
Featured speakers:
- Professor Patrick Bolton
- Professor Geoffrey M. Heal
- MP Shri Jairam Ramesh
- Rahul Shah of Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd.
- Rajat Gupta of McKinsey & Company