Media Release

Udupi, Oct 7: The Department of Business Administration of SMVITM, in collaboration with ATAL Academy, inaugurated a 6-day Faculty Development Program (FDP) on “Modelling for Business Decisions” on October 6, aimed at equipping faculty members and researchers with essential tools and techniques to enhance decision-making through data-driven modelling.

The inaugural session was graced by esteemed dignitaries and industry experts who set the tone for a week of insightful learning and exchange. The chief guest, Sujit Sahoo, Enterprise Digital Transformation advisor at Logile, Bengaluru, emphasised in his address the critical need for a strong foundational understanding of data modelling — from scratch to scale — in today's business ecosystem. He expressed confidence that sharing his professional experiences would add value to the participants' learning journey.

Vinay Vaishnav, associate director - talent acquisition at EY, Bengaluru, was the guest of honour. He highlighted the rising importance of HR Analytics in strategic business decisions and talent management, underscoring how analytical thinking is reshaping traditional HR functions.

The programme began with a welcome address by Dr Suraj Francis Noronha, director of the Department of Business Administration. Dr Nagaraj Bhat, dean, academics and principal in-charge, was also present on the dais, lending his support to the academic initiative.

The 6-day programme, running from October 6 to 11, includes interactive sessions, case-based learning, and hands-on workshops conducted by domain experts. The FDP aims to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and practical business modelling skills, fostering research, innovation, and impactful teaching methodologies among faculty members.