Experts discuss pathways for green transition at IIM Visakhapatnam conclave

Visakhapatnam: The Indian Institute of Management Visakhapatnam (IIM-V) hosted the two-day ‘International Conclave on Green Economy’ (ICGE) 2026, which concluded on Sunday. Organised by the Inter-disciplinary Decision Sciences & Analytics Lab (IDeAL Lab) of IIMV, the conclave brought together academicians, policymakers, industry leaders and researchers from across the globe.

The theme of the conclave was “Navigating the Green Transition: Economic, Policy, and Technological Pathways.”The inaugural keynote address was delivered by Baisnab Charan Pradhan, High Commissioner of India to Sierra Leone, on “Green Growth in the Age of Climate Uncertainty.” He spoke about the hazards posed by fossil fuels and climate change, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and Conference of the Parties frameworks, India’s green economy journey since 2014, and various flagship green initiatives.

He also highlighted the country’s growing leadership in global climate governance through initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance and the Global Biofuels Alliance.Another keynote address, titled “Greening the Grid: Opportunities and Challenges,” was delivered by APEPDCL chairman and managing director Prudhvitej Immadi, IAS. He spoke about the growing importance of power grids and explained how distribution utilities measure, forecast and plan energy requirements.

Prudhvitej highlighted Andhra Pradesh’s vision of becoming a green energy hub for the country while discussing clean technologies, telemetry data, transmission costs and affordability.

He also emphasised opportunities in battery storage, grid management tools and the role of smarter grids in facilitating the green transition.The inaugural session also featured remarks by distinguished collaborators and faculty members, including Prof.

Ravi Vatrapu, Director, DEAL, School of Information Technology Management, Toronto Metropolitan University; Prof Abid Hussain, Department of Digitalisation, Copenhagen Business School; Prof. Shivshanker Singh Patel, head, IDeAL Lab; Prof. Kaveri Krishnan, dean (administration), IIMV; and Prof.

Amit Shankar, dean (research), IIMV.Established in 2021, the IDeAL Lab was envisioned by Prof M Chandrasekhar, director of IIM Visakhapatnam, during the Covid-19 pandemic, recognising the need for a Centre of Excellence that could foster international collaboration and interdisciplinary research. According to IIMV officials, the initiatives and partnerships emerging from the lab today stand as a testament to that vision and reflect his leadership through IIM Visakhapatnam’s continued commitment to sustainability.