The 12th AIM-AMA Sheth Foundation Doctoral Consortium and the International Marketing Conference (IMC) 2025, which brought together some of the brightest minds in academia, industry, and policymaking from around the world, was held at the Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon, from July 15 to 18, 2025. The twin events served as a vibrant confluence of intellectual exchange, thought leadership, and future-forward marketing discourse.
Global marketing academic stalwarts such as Prof. Rajendra Srivastava, Novartis Professor of Marketing Strategy and Innovation at the Indian School of Business; Prof. Venkatesh Shankar, Cox School of Business, Southern Methodist University, USA, Mr. Jayant Shah and Prof. Arvind Sahay led a welcome session for the Doctoral Consortium (July 15–16), providing doctoral scholars with insights into the changing role of marketing in society. Digital marketing, consumer neuroscience, service marketing, and publishing in prestigious journals were among the subjects covered in the two-day program’s numerous masterclasses, global café discussions, and editorial meetings. Prof. Kirti Sharma, Associate Professor, Chairperson – G P Placements & Chairperson – PGDM, remarked on the occasion, “MDI Gurgaon fosters a vibrant ecosystem where scholars, faculty & practitioners converge to shape the future of marketing scholarship!”
Global Café was chaired by Prof. Kirti Sharma, Associate Professor, Marketing & Chairperson -G P Placements & Chairperson – PGDM & Prof. Neetu Yadav, Assistant Professor, Strategic Management.
Commenting on the evolving nature of value creation in marketing, Chief Guest, Prof. Rajendra Srivastava, Novartis Professor of Marketing Strategy and Innovation at the Indian School of Business, said:
“Twenty-first-century firms are shifting from traditional models to ecosystem-based market structures that drive value creation. The increasing importance of the price-to-book value ratio reflects this transformation. Indian firms are not only catching up—they are often surpassing global counterparts in scale and strategic innovation.”
Commenting on the event, Prof. Venkatesh Shankar, Cox School of Business, Southern Methodist University, USA, said: “Agentic AI is not just a tool—it’s a transformative force poised to redefine how we conduct academic research and generate knowledge. It challenges us to rethink our methodologies and embrace new paradigms of inquiry.” Added Prof Arvind Sahay, “The Doctoral Consortium is MDI Gurgaon’s contribution to helping management doctoral scholars to access & engage with top marketing & management scholars from around the world to enhance their skills, perspective and prospective collaborator network- so essential to creating quality at scale for management faculty in India.”
Speaking on the significance of the event, Prof. Arvind Sahay, Director, MDI Gurgaon, said:
“The 12th AIM–AMA Sheth Foundation Doctoral Consortium and International Marketing Conference 2025 reflects MDI Gurgaon’s commitment to shaping global leaders through knowledge exchange, research collaboration, and inclusive dialogue between academia, industry, and policy. At the same time, it underscores the MDI Gurgaon to address the urgent need for high-quality research at scale in Bharat—anchored in methodological rigour and a relentless pursuit of excellence.”
Following the Doctoral Consortium, the International Marketing Conference (July 17–18) centred around the theme “The Future of Marketing in a Virtual Borderless World.” It commenced with an industry round table that delved into sustainable consumerism in Viksit Bharat, Marketing 5.0, AI and learning featuring experts from NITI Aayog, the Ministry of Environment, and Indraprastha Gas Ltd.
Key Outcomes:
- Strengthening of cross-border academic collaborations
- Exposure of early-career scholars to top international editors and journal processes
- Policy-industry-academia alignment on sustainable, AI-driven, and inclusive marketing strategies
- Reinforcement of MDI Gurgaon’s position as a premier hub for future-ready marketing scholarship
