Experts conclude marketing equation to shift from e-commerce to m-commerce with focus on platform and big data analytics

The fourth edition of the ISB Digital Summit, a two day digital marketing event, got off to a rousing start with industry experts, business leaders, marketers and academia discussing latest trends, innovations and marketing models in the digital space.

The Summit could not have been organised at a better time particularly when the chorus around Digital India and Start-up India continues to gain momentum and the talk of an impending shakeup in the ecommerce space is hotting up.

Jointly hosted by the Srini Raju Centre for IT and the Networked Economy (SRITNE) at the Indian School of Business (ISB) and Jigserv Digital, an ISB alumni promoted digital marketing firm, the Summit covers the themes of innovation and entrepreneurship, big data analytics, mobile commerce and creation of value in shared economy with participation by representatives of celebrated names like Uber, Amazon, Twitter, Paytm, Flipkart, and Ericsson to name a few. 

Professor Rajendra Srivastava, Dean, ISB set the tone for the discussions by emphasising that entrepreneurs should innovate for the market and not necessarily for marketing. Delivering the welcome address and the academic keynote, Dean Srivastava quoted relevant examples of successful and innovative enterprises that used technology as an enabler for optimum asset utilisation but were essentially market driven. Another important feature in the networked economy is that you don't win on your own. It is not net worth, but network that determines success, he stressed.
 
In his keynote address, Jayesh Ranjan, Secretary, Information Technology, Government of Telangana, shared the state’s vision on digitisation and the support it was providing to nurture  an entrepreneurial environment. He detailed the various initiatives undertaken by the government on this area, particularly towards promoting entrepreneurship at an early stage in schools and colleges. In this context he elaborated on the Telangana government’s platform called Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH) which seeks to bring together venture capitalists, startups, industry and academic institutions to foster innovation and startups.

The relationship between innovation and growth and ways to encourage entrepreneurial activities came up for active debate in the other academic sessions and panel discussions during the first day today. Established entrepreneurs from diverse areas felt the urgent need for the cultural ethos to be supportive of entrepreneurial activity so that it is considered a mainstream activity.  

On the Day 2 of the ISB Digital Summit topics like application of big data and analytics in retail, mobile and education sectors, the dynamics of hyper local mobile commerce industry and the impact on industry because of upcoming 5G technologies, are slated for discussion.