“Purana, though of the past, is always new and eternal"

Bengaluru, September 7, 2026: Center for Management Studies (CMS) - JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), one of India’s top-ranked private universities, hosted their flagship two-day National Conference on “Global Relevance of Indian Knowledge Systems in Management: Driving Business, Innovation, and Leadership in the 21st Century” at the CMS campus, Lalbagh Road, Bengaluru. The conference witnessed vibrant participation from across India, with academicians, researchers, industry professionals and students from different Universities including Sanskrit University, Shirdi University, Central University of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry University, explored how Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) can shape contemporary management, business, innovation and leadership in AI era.
The guest of honour, Anil Srinivas Chilla, Founder IKS expert, Author of ‘The Ramayana Guide to Practical Leadership’ drew from the story of Kabandha's counsel to Rama from the Ramayana to explain a framework of six strategic principles known as Shadgunya. He stated, "There are six strategic options in this world by which every critical situation can be rigorously assessed, they are Sandhi, Vigraha, Asana, Yana, Samsraya and Dvaidhibhava." Applying this ancient framework to the present day, he pointed to Google and Samsung's alliance behind Android's rise, and the ongoing AI race among global technology companies, as modern examples of the same strategic postures.
In the keynote address, Prof. Dr. Vinayachandra Banavathy, Director – Communications and Director, Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems, Chanakya University spoke on leadership as rooted in self-governance rather than external influence by stating, “Leadership begins with understanding our strengths, recognising where our passion lies, and finding a sense of purpose that enables us to contribute meaningfully.” Further he added, "The Bhagavad Gita invites us to begin with a fundamental question: can I lead myself before I lead others."
Dr. Sangeeta Devanathan, Deputy Dean - Academics, HOI, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University) emphasised the role of management studies in bringing IKS into contemporary discussions, stating, “The question is not what our ancestors said, instead it’s about what they were asking.” Further, she stressed that “IKS should not be reduced to celebrated books, but should be approached as a living knowledge tradition.”
Dr. Rajani Jairam, Conference Chair, Dean-Student Affairs, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), justified, "Indian knowledge system is nothing but experiential, experimental, and participatory learning." She illustrated, “The tradition of Gajashastra where a student would live with the elephant to understand it fully, and finally when he comes out he would know everything in a practical manner." Speaking on the conference theme, she noted, "Purana, the very word means though it is of the past, it is always new and eternal."
Dr. Shraddha Kanwar, Chief Academic Officer, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), spoke on relevance and self-mastery as central to IKS by stating, "The biggest distinction between Western epistemology and Indian epistemology is that where Western knowledge systems talk about the mastery of knowledge which is external, Indian knowledge systems talk about mastery of oneself." She also encouraged a spirit of inquiry over blind belief, saying, "between believers and seekers, please be seekers."
Dr. Lakshman K, Conference Convener, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), added on the key takeaway from the session, "Today, we understood how our history is connected to the corporate world." Commenting on the strong participation in the conference, he stated, “We received over 75 registrations, with more than 45 offline and around 35 online presentations for the conference.”