An important step towards advancing India’s development priorities as the country approaches Viksit Bharat 2047 was taken when the IIMA Endowment Fund, the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad’s (IIMA) unified fundraising and philanthropic arm, hosted the first-ever Accelerating India’s Development (AID) Conference on the IIMA campus. In collaboration with India CSR, the national forum was held.

The AID Conference brought together leaders from business, charity, education, government, and the development sector with the goal of transforming intent into quantifiable impact. Collaborative social responsibility that promotes scalable and sustainable results for India was the obvious focal point. Prof. Bharat Bhasker, Director of IIMA, opened the meeting by outlining the scope and aspirations of India’s vision for Viksit Bharat 2047. He emphasised how important it is for educational institutions to support faster and non-linear growth.

Prof. Bhasker emphasised the significance of MSMEs, skilled talent, and leadership development, saying that it is the duty of institutions such as IIM Ahmedabad to develop capabilities that are ready for the future and support India’s long-term growth trajectory. IIMA’s longstanding culture of community development and leadership was considered by Prof. Sunil Maheshwari, Dean of Alumni & External Relations. According to him, the AID framework establishes organised channels for converting scholarly research, teaching, and alumni involvement into significant social effect. In his speech, IIMA Endowment Fund Board Chairman Deep Kalra urged a change in thinking from corporate social responsibility (CSR) to communal social responsibility.

He emphasised how cooperation between academics, charity, and industry generates scalable, outcome-driven solutions that are in line with national development aspirations, made possible by the IIMA Endowment Fund. The occasion also commemorated five years of the IIMA Endowment Fund’s significant contributions to initiatives that promote IIMA’s purpose, alumni engagement, and institution-building.

Srikrishnan Srinivasan, CEO of the IIMA Endowment Fund, highlighted in his closing remarks that the momentum generated by the AID Conference would continue to direct collaborative action, enabling scalable and sustainable national impact.