The Supply Chain Management Centre (SCMC) at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore recently inaugurated Day One of the 9th Biennial Supply Chain Management Conference 2025, bringing together industry leaders, researchers, practitioners and policymakers to examine the rapidly evolving global supply chain landscape.

The conference opened with a traditional lamp-lighting ceremony led by senior representatives from SCMC, IIM Bangalore, industry partners and academia. The discussions centred on the conference theme, ‘Geopolitics, Sustainability, and Generative AI’, reflecting the growing complexity facing supply chains amid geopolitical disruptions, climate priorities and rapid technological change.

In his inaugural address, Prof Rajeev R Tripathi, Chairperson, SCMC, IIM Bangalore, highlighted the widening gap between Indian supply chain practices and those in advanced markets, underlining the urgent need for digital tools such as AI-enabled forecasting and data-driven decision-making. He stressed that the theme captured both the challenges and opportunities for modernising domestic supply chains.

Prof Dinesh Kumar, Director In-charge, IIM Bangalore, spoke on the rising volatility in global supply chains, illustrating how AI is increasingly being applied in predictive maintenance, demand estimation and performance management. He emphasised that supply chains must be designed to manage uncertainty rather than stability.

The keynote address was delivered by Ajay Nair, Partner and Leader for Supply Chain Transformation at PwC India, who traced the evolution of supply chains from operational backrooms to boardroom priorities. He outlined key forces reshaping the sector, including technological acceleration, ESG expectations, talent shortages and the need for resilience, and called for sustainability to be embedded as a strategic imperative rather than a compliance requirement.

The first panel discussion explored the future of work in supply chains through human and AI collaboration. Industry leaders from technology, logistics and data-driven enterprises shared insights on integrating AI into legacy systems, managing real-time risk, and translating digital visibility into operational outcomes. Speakers agreed that workforce upskilling and organisational adaptability will be critical to realising the full value of AI.

Further keynote insights highlighted how supply chain interventions can drive significant impact in public systems such as healthcare and food distribution, demonstrating the potential of operational innovations in resource-constrained environments.

The day concluded with three parallel breakout tracks focusing on digital transformation and AI adoption, sustainability-led supply chain redesign, and building resilience amid geopolitical uncertainty. Together, the sessions reinforced the conference’s role as a platform for bridging academic research and industry practice while shaping the future direction of supply chains in India and globally.