The two day international conference at Gian Jyoti Institute of Management and Technology, Mohali concluded today. The two day conference titled SMEs inTransitional Economies: Challenges & Opportunities saw more than 100 participants from countries like The Netherlands, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and distinguished institutions from India present their research work.Divided into five sessions, the conference saw eminent academicians deliver their papers and indulge in animated discussions regarding the various facets of challenges and opportunities being faced by small and medium enterprises in transitional economies. Notable among others were Dr. John Brinkman, Professor, Liverpool Hope University, England, Dr. Khalid Mehmood Iraqi, Professor University of Karachi, Pakistan and Dr. Kaushalesh Lal, Senior Researcher, United Nations University, Netherlands. A case study on SMEs presented by Mr. Upinder Singh and Mr. Amanjyot Singh, both students of MBA 1st year at GJ-IMT won critical acclaim for raising critical and relevant issues.
The valedictory session of the conference was presided over by Dr. J. Sadakkadulla, Regional Director, Reserve Bank of India, Chandigarh. Welcoming the dignitaries, Dr. Vimal Kumar Aggarwal expressed his delight at the overwhelming response the conference had received. He informed that the quality of papers presented was so high that GJ-IMT had decided to print them as a compilation of full length papers. Giving the valedictory address, Dr. Sadakkadulla pointed out the importance of SMEs in the overall business environment of transitional economies like India. He underlined that the importance of SMEs as drivers of the economy lay in their sheer numbers, their geographic spread and the volume of employment generated. Dr. Sadakkadulla remarked that many issues raised at the conference were refreshing and worth exploring further and he complimented GJ-IMT for their consistent efforts to create such forums where the industry and academia could interact.
Thanking the dignitaries and the delegates, Mr. J. S. Bedi, Chairman, GJ-IMT said that the success of the conference was encouraging. He said that GJ-IMT took it as a part of its social duty to provide such platforms for the industry and the academic community to share their views. Mr. Bedi thanked the international participants and hoped for a more vigorous association in the future.
The conference concluded with the dignitaries and delegates enjoying some light moments over lunch.