DAY 1

Date: 3rd December 2025
Organised by: Analytics Club, SCMHRD

Colloquium 2025, the annual flagship panel discussion of SCMHRD organised by the Analytics Club, commenced with the theme “Beyond Algorithms: People, Personalization & the Analytics Advantage.” The event was inaugurated with a symbolic plant-watering ceremony, followed by the welcome address delivered by Dr. K. Rajagopal, Director, SCMHRD, who emphasised the need for human-centric, ethical and strategic approaches in analytics.

The panel featured distinguished industry leaders:

• Mr. Subrat Das, Senior Vice President – Data Engineering & Analytics, Mastercard

• Mr. Shiv Kumar, Chief Data & Analytics Officer, L’Oréal India

• Mr. Anil Vohra, Managing Director, Accenture
  (A special acknowledgement was extended to Mr. Bhaskar Nerurkar, who could not attend due to unforeseen circumstances.)

The discussion was moderated by Dr. Natashaa Kaul, Assistant Professor, SCMHRD, whose expertise in organisational psychology offered strong academic grounding to the conversation.

Panel Discussion Summary: “Analytics Talent Crisis: Build or Buy?”

The panel examined the widening analytics talent gap, noting that rapid technological shifts, mismatches between academic exposure and real-world needs, and rising demand for hybrid skillsets have intensified the challenge. Leaders agreed that while organisations must nurture internal talent to build institutional knowledge and long-term capability, external hiring remains crucial for niche expertise, agility and short-term scaling needs. A balanced hybrid strategy was described as the most sustainable approach.

Panelists identified qualities defining future-ready professionals: strong fundamentals, adaptability to evolving tools, curiosity-driven problem-solving, cross-functional thinking, communication skills, and literacy in responsible AI. Students were advised to prioritise ecosystem thinking over tool obsession, develop statistical and business fundamentals, engage with real datasets, and invest in multidisciplinary learning.

Closing

An interactive Q&A session allowed students to seek guidance on career pathways and expectations in AI-driven organisations. A vote of thanks was delivered, followed by presentation of tokens of appreciation and a group photograph. The event acknowledged the contributions of the panelists, moderator, Director, faculty, volunteers and sponsors.

Day 1 of Colloquium 2025 successfully brought together academic insight and industry expertise, reinforcing SCMHRD’s commitment to shaping analytics leaders who can navigate both technological and human dimensions of decision-making.

DAY 2

Date: 4th December 2025
Fireside Chat organised by: Analytics Club, SCMHRD
Theme: “The Age of Personalization: Human or Data Problem?”

Day 2 of Colloquium 2025 featured a Fireside Chat that offered a deeper, more intimate exploration of personalization in today’s AI-driven world. The session opened with a welcome by Ms. Sanchita Bhandari, who emphasised how the Colloquium platform bridges industry perspectives with student curiosity. Guests were felicitated by Director Dr. K. Rajagopal and Prof. Mahesh, acknowledging their valuable presence.

The invited speakers were:

• Mr. Vishal Mahajan, Senior Director, Carelon Global Solutions

• Mr. Arun Chéarie, Data & AI Leader, SAS

• (With a special mention to Mr. Rajesh Kumar, who could not attend and conveyed his wishes.)

The conversation was expertly moderated by Dr. Vinod Sharma, Associate Professor, SCMHRD.

Context Setting

The moderator introduced the central question: as personalisation becomes more sophisticated, is it primarily a technology challenge or a human one? Issues of empathy, ethics, trust, privacy and cultural sensitivity set the stage for the dialogue.

Key Insights from the Fireside Chat

Speakers discussed the thin boundary between meaningful personalization and intrusive experiences, emphasising the importance of user consent and contextual sensitivity. They highlighted the primacy of data quality—outliers, automation artifacts, and non-representative datasets being major pitfalls—and noted that modelling is often easier than managing real-world data. The evolution from static to dynamic personalization underscored the need for flexible segmentation, latency-aware systems and continuous innovation.

The speakers also stressed that while technology can scale personalization, human judgment remains central to problem identification, ethical reasoning and contextual decision-making. Poll insights revealed that while consumers welcome personalization, many remain hesitant to share personal data, emphasizing the need for transparency and control. Regulatory frameworks such as India’s DPDP Act were discussed as critical guardrails that restore user trust by reinforcing data ownership and rights.

Student Interaction & Closing

Students posed thoughtful questions on bias, data governance, consent, privacy boundaries and the future of responsible AI, receiving practical guidance on strengthening fundamentals in data handling, domain insight and ethical reasoning. The session concluded with a vote of thanks, presentation of mementos, and a group photograph.

Day 2 closed with a reminder that analytics is ultimately about people, purpose and impact. With this Fireside Chat, Colloquium 2025 concluded on a reflective and inspirational note, reinforcing SCMHRD’s vision of nurturing leaders for a human-centered, data-driven future.