SP Jain School of Global Management organised a Power Panel on July 1, 2020, to explore the possibilities of overcoming challenges posed to various industries by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The panel consisted of industry stalwarts including:

Panellists

Additional Guest Panellists

The session was moderated by Smita Jain (Director – Master in Global Luxury Goods & Services Management, SP Jain). It was attended by over 275 participants including industry professionals, students and alumni.

The panellists shared their anecdotes and experiences to shed light on the difficulties faced by multiple industries due to COVID-19. The industry outlook was largely optimistic, with experts terming the standstill as temporary and expressing the belief that, despite the challenges, the industries will rebound while adapting to the ‘new normal’.

Harbhajan Singh motivated the participants by advising on how to cope with the quarantine. “Take this period as an opportunity to spend more quality time with your family and focus on yourself. Utilise the time at hand to learn something new and you might end up surprising yourself.” Speaking about the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the future of live cricket, he said, “We are not sure if it will be possible to play in a stadium with an audience given the circumstances; we might just end up playing like the Ranji Trophy without any spectators, but the game will go on for sure.”

Bhavna Jasra spoke about self-motivation and shared, “Compete with yourself; you need to improve yourself every day to be the best. My clients are more driven to my art as it focuses on emotions and relationships. Hence, I call it an art with a heart!”

Dabboo Ratnani, while sharing his recent experience at a photoshoot, said, “We took the necessary precautions – limited the number of crew members, wore masks at all times, sanitised all equipment – and worked doubly hard to make the shoot possible with all the limitations. After the shoot, we felt more confident that the functioning can return to normal and we are now looking forward to more such shoots soon.”

Mickey Contractor highlighted the importance of taking the necessary measures during a make-up artist’s appointments with clients. He advised on sanitising the countertop, the make-up brushes and products a day before the meeting. He noted that the industry functioning is likely to return to normalcy in the future as people need to maintain hygiene and emphasised on the need to take precautions at every step. 

Smita Jain, speaking about the thought leadership session, shared, “The panel was an attempt to understand and discuss the realities and nuances of the effect of COVID-19 and find effective ways to overcome the impending crisis together. Our panel members shared insightful observations with regards to their respective industries and the feedback we received was extremely positive. The luxury sector is definitely looking at new strategies and to becoming more adaptive, eventually, all brands will be making certain adjustments depending on product and geography to have a clear road map for the future."

The webinar was supported by Wai Wai Noodles, Haldiram’s Foods International Ltd and Lloyds Luxuries (Truefitt & Hill).

The Power Panel and the insights shared by the industry leaders have been featured in leading education portals including Shiksha, Collegedunia, BW Education, India Education Diary and Easy Shiksha.

Such industry-relevant events are part of SP Jain’s Master in Global Luxury Goods & Services Management program curriculum which enables students to get hands-on learning while benefiting from up-to-date advice and information from leading voices.