AMPOS guest speakers

Topic: Passion for Lifelong Learning and its Applications for a Joyful Life

Date: 27 April 2025

Mr. Vijay Naidu Galla, Former President & CEO Of Mangal Industries Ltd., Amara Raja Group 

Sri Vijay Naidu Galla delivered an inspiring guest lecture on “Passion for Lifelong Learning and its Applications for a Joyful Life,” beginning with India’s current economic status as the 5th largest economy, aspiring to grow to $30 trillion by 2047. He introduced the concept of a "living company," emphasizing financial prudence, adaptability, sensitivity to the environment, and a culture of empowerment. Drawing from his leadership at Amara Raja, he explained how he along with others in leadership team built world-class manufacturing capabilities, set up integrated systems, and achieved market leadership and profitability. His transformative experience at Association for Overseas Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Partnerships (AOTS) in Japan—exposing him to global best practices—deeply influenced his approach, especially in lean manufacturing and six sigma. Under his guidance, Amara Raja won accolades for 5s, QCC, and became a low-cost leader. As CII Chairman of Andhra Pradesh, he initiated new networks and developmental zones. His contributions include pioneering battery technologies in India, training over 1,000 professionals, and supporting 2,500+ students financially though CSR. He also served as a role model in mango cultivation. Concluding with “my personal kaleidoscope,” he reflected on achievement, joy, learning, legacy, and significance. The session ended with an engaging Q&A.

Topic: Agility in Strategy: Embedding Speed, Relevance, and Endurance in Leadership

Date: 26 April 2025

Mr. Ajay Arora, Senior Vice President – Strategic Projects, Hero MotoCorp Limited 

As part of the 4th residency of the AMPOS Class of 2024 in Hyderabad, we had the privilege of hosting Mr. Ajay Arora, Senior Vice President – Strategic Projects, Hero MotoCorp, for a deeply engaging session.  

At a time when traditional planning cycles are being upended by rapid technological shifts and market discontinuities, Mr. Arora challenged participants to rethink how strategy is crafted, executed, and evolved. The session offered a compelling view into how modern enterprises—whether century-old conglomerates or digital disruptors—must build agile strategic muscles to stay ahead of the curve. 

Using case studies, historical analogies, and vivid narratives from the world of sports, Mr. Arora drew parallels between business and endurance: “Running a marathon is like running a company—clarity of direction matters, but resilience, preparation, and adaptability determine who crosses the finish line.” 

Participants explored frameworks that balance long-term ambition with short-cycle iteration, drawing from the practices of firms like Panasonic, Lenovo, and new-age digital ventures. The session emphasized that strategy today is not merely about long-range planning—it is about continuous calibration, learning through experimentation, and moving with speed and precision. 

With references to Sun Tzu’s Art of War, new-age metrics like CAC and cash burn, and leadership lessons from CEOs like N. Chandrasekaran and Vineeta Singh, the session left participants inspired to lead with a mindset that values clarity without rigidity, and agility without compromise. 

This was not just a session on strategic thinking—it was a masterclass in strategic doing.

Topic: Supply Chain Metamorphosis – Tradition Meets Technology

Date: 09 April 2025

Mr. L. Venkat Madhav, President – Group Supply Chain at Amara Raja, delivered an insightful session on “Supply Chain Metamorphosis – Tradition Meets Technology.” He shared the “Amara Raja Way,” a strategic framework focused on agility, adaptability, and alignment to build a future-ready supply chain. Highlighting the shift toward digital integration, regionalization, and sustainability, Madhav walked through innovations like the Central Distribution Center and their “Digital Tree” model. The session concluded with a dynamic Q&A, offering students a deeper understanding of digital supply chain transformation and future industry trends.

Topic: Operations & You

Date: 08 April 2025

Mr. Ganesh Mani, President & COO, Ashok Leyland, delivered a compelling session on “Operations & You.” With more than 30 years of leadership experience across global automotive giants, Mr. Mani offered our cohort not just frameworks but lived insights—on transformation at scale, digital industrialization, and the critical interplay between operational resilience and human capital. His session was a masterclass in marrying strategic vision with on-the-ground execution, a hallmark of future-ready leadership.

Topic: Building Resilient Supply Chains for the Automotive Industry

Date: 08 April 2025

Mr. Deepak Thukral, Executive Officer – Supply Chain, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., brought analytical clarity and hard-won wisdom to his session on “Building Resilient Supply Chains for the Automotive Industry.” As volatility becomes a permanent feature of the global landscape, his thoughts on localization, supplier ecosystems, and digital risk mitigation strategies were both timely and thought-provoking—reframing resilience not as a response, but as a design principle. 

Topic: Customer Value Management

Date: 02 Jul 2023

Mr. Reddy spoke on Customer Value Management (CVM) based on his invaluable experience in Jamipol Ltd, a Tata Company. The fusion of expertise between suppliers and customers culminates into a wellspring of knowledge, channelling the essence of customer requisites into a potent catalyst for value creation. The speaker's 34-year tenure within the steel industry cast a luminous backdrop, underscoring the real-world applicability of the insights shared. A captivated student body found themselves enriched by this course, recognizing the profound value it encapsulated. The guest lecture, an enlightening engagement woven with insights, seamlessly transitioned into an interactive Q&A session, resonating harmoniously with the receptive students.

Topic: Customer Value Management

Date: 02 Sep 2022

Mr Prasad spoke at length about Customer Value Management. He stated that while customer centricity is valuable, collaboration is the key to harnessing value in the supply chain. There is a need for a better understanding of Customer requirements by suppliers and supplier capabilities by customers. Suppliers and customers can be a source of knowledge, and understanding customer requirements can lead to immense value creation. His experience of 34 years in the steel industry was evident, and the students found the talk of immense value.

Topic: Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing / Automobiles

Date: 28 Aug 2022

Mr. Venkatesh Natarajan, ex-Chief Digital Officer, Ashok Leyland Limited, spoke to the students of AMPOS in Hyderabad. He kept the students en-gaged with thought-provoking use cases of Ashok Leyland that employed digital technologies to generate immense business value. He spoke at length on the ‘definition of AI technology as we understand it,’ ‘drivers of AI technology in the automobile industry,’ ‘AI use cases powering the organisation’s vision and ‘best prac-tices employing AI.’ The session generated many questions, especially about data security and cyber crimes. The students highly appreciated the session.

Topic: Labour Laws

Date: 12 May 2022

Shri Praveen Pardeshi, Member, Capacity Building Commission, talked to a packed house of AMPOS students and student executives of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship #MSDE. Amongst many thought-provoking ideas shared by him, three powerful statements stand out: Countries are rich or poor due to their institutions (these are the ‘rules of the game’, not organisations). Labour laws are one set of institutions, and things change only if the rules of the game change Bring down the price of labour to its abundance value, a failproof recipe for a labour surplus country like India. There is an urgent need to tweak the labour laws to tap the labour market Forge partnerships with opposing forces before they become opponents; it’s a sure-fire way to push reforms.