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The Centre of Supply Chain and Logistics Management (CSCLM) at Jindal Global Business School (JGBS) of OP Jindal Global University hosted ISCEA Ptak Global Case Competition India Final Round - 2018 and Roundtable Panel Discussion on 'Leveraging Blockchain and India's preparedness' on 18 November 2018.

In her Welcoming Remarks, Professor Saroj Koul (Executive Director, Centre for Supply Chain and Logistics Management, JGBS) spoke about the significance of the panel discussion on Blockchain, and highlighted the Case Competition that brings together students and young professionals from around the world to compete in the Ptak Prize Global Supply Chain Case Competition. Professor Koul introduced Carol Ptak, currently a partner with the Demand Driven Institute and the Distinguished Executive in Residence, Pacific Lutheran University, is the originator of the concept of demand-driven manufacturing and is a leading authority in ERP and Supply Chain tools. The International Supply Chain Education Alliance (ISCEA) awards the coveted Ptak Prize for Supply Chain Excellence annually in the name of Carol Ptak.

In his address to the gathering at the opening ceremony Professor Rajesh Chakrabarti (Dean, JGBS) shared, 'In terms of technology, we are trying our best to keep up with the times. This initiative is not just about catching up and mastering, but also about leading efforts in the domain. There are potential and opportunity, irrespective of the industry we work in.'

Experts, specialists, and thought leaders came together in the Panel Discussion to explore how Blockchain can be leveraged in the future. From understanding the new context of business to adopting relevant technology to customer tolerance to payment systems across industries to the challenges of business process digitization, the session witnessed exchange of diverse views, perspectives, and opinions. In particular, the discussion focused on India's preparedness for faster business growth and in ensuring transparency and cost-effectiveness for consumers.

Read about: Jindal Global Business School (JGBS) 

As a discussant, Mr. Sandeep Chatterjee (Associate Director, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Services, Inc.) evinced, 'There are no uniform standards, but the scope is certainly immense. Customer tolerance time has reduced drastically. Therefore, there is a huge need for Blockchain.' Dr. Harish Pant (Chief Business Transformation Officer, NTF India Pvt Ltd) said, 'The current view should be: What are the new context of business and relevant technology adoption? Need to set up a kitchen first; forget about having a smart house. Fostering co-creation is the need of the hour. India has a huge potential to create a service platform and serve the world.'

Mr. Ajay Kapoor (Vice President - Procurement, HSBC Group) observed, 'How many of us understand PPT - People Process Technology? The scope of Blockchain in payment systems is huge across industries.' Mr. Anuj Garg (Transformation & Business Operations Leader, IBM India) said, 'We all know what Blockchain is. But do we know what Blockchain is not? The blockchain is not bitcoin. We are all lagging behind in terms of technology and the expertise required to understand Blockchain. Let's remember Blockchain is disruptive and adaptation in India will be slow.'

The Ptak Prize Global Case Competition brings together students from around the world. It is a global competition where the top 30 B-Schools in the world compete. India has won it thrice. The competition for the India Rounds started in early September 2018 and saw over 82 teams participate in India rounds from different colleges. The preliminary screening is done by the case solution submissions by the elite jury of the India Qualifier Online Rounds. This time 7 teams pan-India competed in the India Final Rounds at JGBS.

The 7 teams participating in the contest were allowed to choose their own topics based on the theme 'Blockchain Marries Supply Chain'. The teams: JGU (Team Name: Enigma, Topic: Blockchain in the Shipping Industry); IIM Sirmaur (Team Name: Three’s A Crowd, Topic: Implementation of Blockchain in Education); XLRI (Team Name: Schumacher, Topic: Prospects of Blockchain in Organic Milk Supply Chain in India); JGBS (Team Name: Such Log, Topic: How Blockchain can Transform the Industry of Supply Chain Broadly in its Operations); DMS IIT Delhi (Team Name: Pacifiers, Topic: Supply Chain Marries Blockchain); DMS IIT Delhi (Team Name: Gilli Danda, Topic: Supply Chain Marries Blockchain); and DMS IIT Delhi (Team Name: Fire Fist, Topic: Counterfeiting in Pharma Industry).

The International Supply Chain Education Alliance (ISCEA) awards the coveted Ptak Prize for Supply Chain Excellence. The panel of judges for this year's competition included Dr Harish Pant (Chief Business Transformation Officer, NTF India Pvt Ltd), Mr. Anuj Garg (Director, DIY Blockchain Pvt Ltd), Mr Ajay Kapoor (Vice President - Procurement, HSBC Group), Mr Sandeep Chatterjee (Associate Director, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Services, Inc.), and Dr. Krishan K. Pandey (Professor of Data Analytics, OP Jindal Global University). Team Schumacher from XLRI came out on top, while Team Pacifiers from DMS IIT Delhi was declared First Runner-Up.

In the Keynote Address, Professor Prem Vrat (Pro-Chancellor, Professor of Eminence and Chief Mentor, The NorthCap University) giving useful insights observed, 'We often pick topics that generate the maximum hype. Can Blockchain solve the biggest problem around clean air being faced by Delhi? Blockchain emanated from Bitcoin, which is declared illegal in the country. For democracy of data sharing to survive, we need to control misuse. Only Blockchain technology won't suffice. People and purpose also need to be aligned. Blockchain data can’t be erased or modified. Any system, like Blockchain that grows exponentially, will have its disadvantages. As a country, we should start using Blockchain once we know it is a foolproof system.' On the occasion of ISCEA Ptak Global Case Competition India Final Round - 2018 and Roundtable Panel Discussion on 'Leveraging Blockchain and India's preparedness', a special Charter was signed at Centre for Supply Chain and Logistics Management, JGBS.

The Charter aims to create a win-win situation for the industry, educational institutes, the Centre of Excellence and its current employees and students, university staff, and the entire ecosystem. In particular, the signatories will work together to support industry-academia initiatives in the areas of operations management, production engineering, supply chain, logistics, and digital economy and help improve India's international standing by adopting global best practices. The unique event was supported by Octaphi-The Operations Management Club at JGBS and the ISCEA Campus Ambassadors at JGU under the aegis of CSCLM.

The Centre aims to achieve excellence in research and education by offering research-driven consultancy and analyzing implementations that result in major savings and benchmarking of best practices in organizations. The research is practical, impartial and has 'real world' application based on best practice. Through commercial and grant-funded activities, CSCLM coordinates diverse skills and resources to develop and apply knowledge for the benefit of industry, government and community organizations. At the day-long event in JGBS, young minds presented sharp ideas for practical implementation in a competitive environment. Experts shared diverse opinions, views, and perspectives on a topic of wide relevance. People from the industry and academia resolved to collaborate in various domains with an eye on the future. It was a day of insights, messages, and possibilities for times to come.