The WPU Goa One-Day Leadership Conclave on "Leadership That Delivers" marked a landmark moment in the institutional journey of WPU Goa campus. Co-organised in partnership with BNI Goa Region, the conclave convened over 250 participants for an immersive evening of world-class leadership dialogue, institutional recognition, and community investment.
The gathering brought together industry leaders, corporate professionals, MSME owners, startup founders, entrepreneurs, and academics, united by a shared conviction that leadership has never been more consequential than it is today.
Conceptualised under the institutional vision of Dr. Rahul V. Karad, Executive President, WPU Goa, and convened by Dr. Urvashi Makkar, Dean of the Ramcharan School of Leadership, MIT-WPU Pune, the conclave established WPU Goa as a genuine hub of leadership thought and professional community in Goa.
"WPU Goa is being built not merely as a place of education, but as an ecosystem that connects leadership, industry, recognition, and transformation. Every event like this conclave is a demonstration, not just a promise, of that vision."
Dr. Rahul V. Karad, Executive President, WPU Goa
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Organised By | WPU Goa Campus |
| Co-organised By | BNI Goa Region |
| Patron | Dr. Rahul V. Karad, Executive President, WPU Goa |
| Convener | Dr. Urvashi Makkar, Dean RSoL, MIT-WPU Pune |
| Keynote Speaker | Prof. Ram Charan, Global Advisor to CEOs & Corporate Boards |
| Thought Session I | Mr. Sunil Kaul, Former Group President & CTO, ANAND Group |
| Thought Session II | Mr. Ashwini Malhotra, Vice Chairman & MD, Weikfield Foods Pvt. Ltd. |
| Total Participants | 250+ (Industry leaders, corporates, startup founders, entrepreneurs, academics) |
| Awardees | 25 leaders across 4 award categories |
| Scholarships | 8 meritorious students from the 10+2 level |
Global Advisor to CEOs & Corporate Boards · Bestselling Author · Harvard Business School
Session: Leadership Deep-Dive · 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM (90 Minutes)
One of the most sought-after management advisors in the world, Prof. Ram Charan has worked for over five decades with CEOs and boards of globally iconic organisations including GE, Bank of America, DuPont, Novartis, Dell, and Honeywell. A prolific author of 30+ books — including Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done (with Larry Bossidy) — he holds a doctorate from Harvard Business School where he was a Baker Scholar.
His exclusive 90-minute Leadership Deep-Dive anchored the conclave in the principles of exponential organisational growth, customer obsession, long-term market leadership, and the irreplaceable value of people as the primary competitive asset.
The most important resource any organisation has is not capital, not technology, not even its customers. It is the quality of its leadership at every level. And leadership quality is a function of deliberate, sustained, and honest investment in people.
— Prof. Ram Charan
Former Group President & CTO, ANAND Group · Vice Chairman, ANEVOLVE
Session: Lead to Grow: Leadership for MSMEs · 6:00 – 6:20 PM
With four decades of hands-on experience in India’s premier automotive manufacturing sector, Mr. Kaul led transformative initiatives at the ANAND Group — one of India’s most respected automotive components manufacturers with combined revenues exceeding INR 10,000 crore. His session delivered practitioner-grounded insights covering cash flow discipline, governance as competitive advantage, quality culture (“Office Quality”), and the 4W1H innovation framework.
Leadership is not about having all the answers. It is about creating belief when results are not yet visible. It is about building systems that outlast individuals. Most importantly, it is about transforming mindset before transforming business.
— Mr. Sunil Kaul
Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Weikfield Foods Pvt. Ltd.
Session: Leadership for Sustainable Growth · 6:20 – 6:40 PM
As steward of one of India’s most enduring food brands since 1956, Mr. Malhotra spoke from personal conviction and multi-generational business experience about what sustainable leadership truly means. His session presented a model in which ethical values — integrity, trustworthiness, care, and commitment — sit at the intersection of value delivered to employees, customers, and investors. He illustrated environmental sustainability through Weikfield’s solar-powered Bakori mushroom plant, which generates 17 lakh units of power annually and reduces carbon emissions by 1,400 tons per year.
Economic Value + Ethical Values + Environmental Sustainability = Sustainable Profits. This is not idealism. This is the only business model that works across generations.
— Mr. Ashwini Malhotra
KEY LEARNINGS
The three sessions together generated a rich, multilayered body of leadership wisdom. Despite distinct backgrounds and areas of focus, the three speakers converged on deeply shared convictions about what leadership truly demands.
Customer obsession is not a function or a team, it is an organisational philosophy that must govern every decision and every hire. (Prof. Ram Charan) True economic value is created when businesses genuinely serve all stakeholders, not just shareholders. (Mr. Ashwini Malhotra) Goodwill from customers, employees, and communities is the most durable competitive asset any organisation can build. (Mr. Ashwini Malhotra)
Talent is the ultimate competitive advantage. The bar must be raised continuously and deliberately. (Prof. Ram Charan) Building systems that outlast individuals is the highest form of leadership achievement. (Mr. Sunil Kaul) Transforming mindset is the precondition for transforming business. Invest in both. (Mr. Sunil Kaul)
Governance is not compliance, it is the practical foundation of trust, and trust is the foundation of every sustainable business relationship. (Mr. Sunil Kaul) Ethical values are not constraints on economic growth, they are its most powerful and most durable enablers. (Mr. Ashwini Malhotra) Social responsibility must be unconditional. The moment it becomes transactional, it loses both its moral and business value. (Mr. Ashwini Malhotra)
Early failure is better than late failure. Create structures that honour, study, and celebrate failures as learning vehicles. (Mr. Sunil Kaul) Innovation requires structure: the 4W1H framework (What, Why, When, Where, How) converts challenges into opportunities. (Mr. Sunil Kaul) Long-term market leadership, not quarterly profit, is the north star of enduring strategy. (Prof. Ram Charan) Environmental sustainability and economic profitability are allies when approached with long-term thinking and genuine commitment. (Mr. Ashwini Malhotra)
Twenty-five distinguished leaders from Goa's corporate, startup, MSME, and sustainability sectors were felicitated across four award categories, celebrating leadership that delivers at every scale, in every sector, with integrity and impact.
| Awardee | Organisation |
|---|---|
| Mr. Shekhar Sardesai | Kineco Aerospace |
| Ms. Rita Mody Joshi | Rita Mody Joshi |
| Mr. Pawan Koul | IFB Industries |
| Dr. Sangam Kurade | Kurade's Mushrooms |
| Mr. Milind Mohan Anvekar | Open Destinat |
| Mr. Chirag Warty | Ved Sanjeevani |
| Mr. P.B. Prasad | PBP EcoAqua Enterprise |
| Awardee | Organisation |
|---|---|
| Mr. Syamsundar Ivaturi | DishaAI Edutech Solutions Pvt. Ltd. |
| Mr. Ryan Vaz | Infinyt3d Pvt Ltd |
| Mr. Gautam Govind Kharangate | Rashtra TV |
| Ms. Asha Arondekar | Global to Local |
| Mr. Ankur Kankonkar | Incluseer – Anklytix Technologies LLP |
| Mr. Yatin Sanjeev Kanekar | Infipre IT Services OPC Pvt Ltd |
| Awardee | Organisation |
|---|---|
| Ms. Shweta Goe | Nitai Home Decor |
| Mr. Rupesh Gawas | Farm Express |
| Mr. Rasik Naik | Finishing Touch |
| Mr. Dinesh Dhulapkar | Powertech Automation System |
| Mr. Arman Bankley | AR-Mine's Industries |
| Ar. Anup Gadgil | Ochre Design Group |
| Awardee | Organisation |
|---|---|
| Mr. Vinay Verma | Powertrac Corporation |
| Mr. Malcolm Afonso | Afonso SpatialCraft LLP |
| Mr. Jitendra Agarwal | Anemos Energies Pvt Ltd |
| Mr. Gourav Pokle | YIMBY |
| Mr. Ajay Gramopadhye | The Sustainable Green Company |
| Mr. Rajkumar G. Kamat | EP Biocomposites Ltd. |
Among the most emotionally resonant moments of the evening, WPU Goa announced merit-based scholarships for 8 outstanding students from the 10+2 level. Recipients receive cash awards of ₹30,000 and ₹10,000 with fee support across three years of their graduation programme.
Recipients were selected on the basis of meritorious academic performance with consideration for marks obtained, board context, and association with the WPU Goa campus ecosystem. The scholarship announcement was met with warm, sustained applause from all 250+ participants.
| Sr. | Student Name | Board |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Percy Xavier Lobo | Goa State Board |
| 2 | Brooke Anne D'Silva | MH State Board |
| 3 | Vania Maria Lira D'Souza | Goa State Board |
| 4 | Christiano Florindo D'Souza | Goa State Board |
| 5 | Torres Antonio Russel Coelho | MH State Board |
| 6 | Meldroy Melwyn Fernandes | Goa State Board |
| 7 | Simaran Dilivia D'Lima | Goa State Board |
| 8 | Nigel Aaron Barco | CBSE Board |
The Leadership Conclave was not a one-time event, it was the first visible expression of WPU Goa's long-term commitment to building a leadership ecosystem in Goa. Dr. Rahul V. Karad has outlined an ambitious roadmap for the years ahead.
To be institutionalised as a flagship annual event, growing in scale, speaker quality, and community impact year on year, becoming a marquee fixture in Goa's professional calendar.
Developing incubation, mentoring, and capacity-building programmes for Goa's entrepreneurial community, leveraging the expertise, networks, and resources of WPU Goa.
Working with industry partners to co-design curriculum, research projects, and learning experiences ensuring WPU Goa graduates are immediately relevant and effective in the professional world.
Expanding the merit-based scholarship programme annually, with a goal of doubling recipients by 2027–28 and creating structured pathways from scholarship to employment.
Formal establishment of a structured network comprising inaugural awardees, future cohorts, conclave speakers, and institutional partners, with quarterly engagement platforms.
Developing research programmes in partnership with government, industry, and civil society that address the specific development challenges and opportunities of Goa.