Dr. Saurabh, Faculty, School of Business, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Katra, was invited as a panel speaker and moderator in the international conference on social innovation, social business and sustainable development with a focus on new age technologies, organised by VESIM, Mumbai along with University of Cartagena, Spain, and the European University of Technology, and IIT BHU on 25-26 February 2022.

He emphasized the revival and resurgence of the traditional knowledge in a scientific and modern context shall help in strengthening the social innovation which are required for the solutions of social problems. He gave a 3S&D framework for the social innovations.Other speakers, Ms. Lamiya Morshed, Executive Director of Yunus Centre, Dhaka, Bangladesh; Dr. Satyendra Pandey, Institute of Rural Management Anand, Gujrat; Mr. Pranshu Singhal, Founder & Director of Karo Sambhav Mumbai, Dr. Manish Arora, Faculty, BHU Varanasi also participated in the discussion.Dr. Nisha Pandey, convener of the conference, thanked the speakers for their deliberations

Ms. Diksha Sharma, a student pursuing MBA in School of Business, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Katra presented the research paper entitled, "Role of Brand Loyalty on Customer Satisfaction- A Study of Telecommunication” in the National E-Conference on ‘Advances in Business, Management and Technology’ organised by Department of Management Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Bihar during 25th -26th June, 2021.

In this prestigious conference, prominent academicians, researchers and speakers from various parts of country took part and contributed their Research work on different dimensions of topics of the conference. Ms. Diksha Sharma has worked under the mentorship of Dr. Jyoti Sharma, Associate Professor, School of Business, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University. The present research work is basically part of the dissertation work that she has completed during the final year of MBA program. In this research endeavours were made to get insight regarding the variables which strengthen the loyalty of the customers towards a particular telecom network. Not only she has earned this feather in her cap in terms of best presenter award but also she has got placement in ICICI Prudential with an attractive package.

Dr. Saurabh, Associate Professor, School of Business, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University Katra, J&K has been appointed as a Vice-President, of the Indian Society of Agricultural Economics, (ISAE), Mumbai. This is an honorary position at ISAE, which was established in the year 1939 and is the leading society of prominent researchers, scientists, thinkers and practitioners in the field of agricultural business and economics. The objectives of the Society is to promote the study of social and economic problems of agriculture and the rural areas and also to promote technical competence for teaching and research in agricultural economics and allied subjects.

The Society undertakes, organises, and co-ordinates research in problems of agricultural economics and rural development and maintains a research library and documentation centre, along with holding periodical conferences and seminars and training courses, publishing books, reports, papers and creating a dialogue for policy and development in the field of agriculture and rural development. Prof. Ravindra Kr. Sinha, Vice-Chancellor, SMVDU, congratulated Dr. Saurabh and said that the efforts of the faculty members of the School of Business are being recognised at the national and international levels.Dr. Saurabh was appointed as the Vice-President of the society in its 81st Annual General Meeting, presided by Prof. Abijit Sen. Currently Prof. Dinesh Kr. Marothia, national coordinator National Institute of Ecology is president of ISAE.

Ms Nikita, a student of MBA final year of School of Business, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU), Katra, has secured 3rd rank in Research Paper Presentation entitled, “Determinants of Social and Financial Efficiency of Microfinance Institutions in India” in the International Conference on "Public Policy, Governance, and Management, organized by Department of Public Policy and Governance", BKSPMS, Gujarat University.

In this prestigious conference, eminent speakers from reputed organizations and from different countries participated and presented research works. The research study has applied a panel data approach along with a non-parametric approach to measuring the performance and predictors of microfinance institutions.The presently acknowledged research contribution of Ms Nikita is part of her dissertation project which every student of the School of Business, SMVDU, has to write during his/her degree program.

Ms Nikita has worked under the mentorship of Dr Supran Kumar Sharma, Associate Professor, and Dean, Faculty of Management, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University. Dr Saurabh, Head, School of Business, and Dr Sharma, congratulated the student on the success. Ms Nikita has also received campus placement in ICIC Prudential with an attractive package.

Dr. Supran Kumar Sharma, Dean, Faculty of Management delivered an invited talk entitled ‘Social Enterprises & Sustainable Development’ in the National Symposium on ‘Sustainable Development: Pathways to Save the Planet’ organised by Faculty of Social Sciences, Bhagat Phool Singh Mahila Vishwavidyalaya, Sonepat, Haryana.The participants of the symposium were faculty members of different colleges, institutions apart from the universities. The session explained that debate has intensified towards the search for sustainable solutions to development problems.Dr. Sharma mentioned that the government and other multilateral agencies can provide funding for infrastructure, technical assistance to build & strengthen systems. A promising approach to sustainable development that complements development assistance is social enterprises.

Dr. Sharma categorically emphasized that social entrepreneurship is a viable & significant approach to nudge the world closer to the attainment of sustainable development. In this symposium, Dr. Sharma, shared the platform with Prof. Surender Kumar, Head of Department, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi; Prof. Ashok Chauhan, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra. The session was well appreciated and deliberated by the participants.

aaTraining session on the topic, “Dynamics of Marketing of Honey Bee Products” was conducted by Dr Supran Kumar Sharma, Dean, Faculty of Management, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU) in a two-day National Level Webinar entitled, “Beekeeping: Opportunities and Challenges” organized by AICRP (Honeybee & Pollinators), Division of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, SKUAST-Jammu in collaboration with National Bee Board. Scientists, entrepreneurs, farmers, beekeepers, faculty members, officials from universities, institutes and colleges etc. were the participants of this prestigious webinar.

Dr Sharma explicated that the goal of marketing is to attract new customer by promising superior value and to keep current customers by delivering satisfaction. The session elucidated how out of the total available market and served available market, the target market of early adopters and innovators must be focused by stakeholder in the bee products business. Dr Sharma emphasised that sustainable solution for these types of ventures lies in unconventional promotion practices including affordable social media marketing.

Webinar session on the topic, “COVID 19 and MSMEs Sector” was conducted by Dr. Supran Kumar Sharma, Dean, Faculty of Management, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University in the Refresher Course in Commerce & Management at the UGC-Human Resource Development Centre (UGC-HRDC) Kumaun University, Nainital (Uttarakhand). Dr. Sharma explicated that MSMEs sector in India is second largest employment generator after agriculture and acts as a breeding ground for entrepreneurs and innovators with considerable support in strengthening business ecosystem.

The session elucidated that the estimated number of MSMEs in India is around 63 million which employs 110 millions. Indian MSMEs produce more than 6,000 products for local and global consumption and contributing around 45-48 % of total exports. MSMEs exposed to higher level of integration with global value and supply chains are playing critical role in global trade systems. Dr Sharma emphasised that the potential of Indian MSME sector is still untapped and that is one of the reasons why government policies are now more convergent towards building resilient ecosystem with better breadth and depth.

Dr Sharma exposed that presently the sectors is facing the highest job losses during pandemic although a few sub sectors are doing well despite the Covid-19 crisis. Further Dr Sharma highlights how Ministry of MSME is taking steps towards making these enterprises global and improve the overall business environment, by making it more conducive and transparent for all stakeholders. The sector also holds answer to critical questions like unemployment, local economy development, fiscal deficit, trade balance, financial sector development, SDG alignment and so on. Alonwith Dr. Sharma, Prof. Kalptaru Bandopadhyay, Vidyasagar University West Bengal and Dr. Mandeep Kaur, Head School of Financial Studies, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar shared platform for detail deliberation on the broader issues related with impact of Covid-19 pandemic.

Dr Supran Kumar Sharma, Dean, Faculty of Management, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU), conducted a training session on the topic, “Vibrant Demography in Largest Democracy for Self Reliant India in Special Reference to Social Enterprises” in the AICTE sponsored weeklong national level Faculty Development Program on "Social Enterprise Management and Self-Reliant India", under AICTE Training and Learning Academy Cell. Dr Sharma explained that "Social Enterprise" is the units that have triple bottom line returns and address social and environmental needs such as affordable health services and energy and have a financially sustainable revenue model.

Dr Sharma made the training session more empirical and effective with the description of case studies like Dialogue in the Dark, COMACO Social Enterprises in Africa- Zambia, Vaatsalya Healthcare, Micro-housing Finance Corporation, Arusha Housing Private Ltd., Suminter Organics, Janani Foods, Rumi Schools, Hole in the Wall Education Limited, Shramik Sanitation Systems etc.

With the help of suitable data and facts the resource person also explicated that the future is bright for Indian social enterprises. He emphasized that in India the window of opportunity and gain in terms of ‘demographic dividend’ is available for the economy of the country till 2040 but this ‘dividend experience’ also alarms towards skilling & livelihood generation of ‘available, perspective workforce’ exigently.

Dr. Saurabh, Head, School of Business, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University Katra, J&K, delivered a lecture the National level refresher course in Commerce and Management organized by the Human Resource Development Centre in Pandit Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur, Chattisgarh. Dr. Saurabh gave his talk on the topic of ‘Dharma of Social Entrepreneurship in the Development Discourse’. He elaborated the concept of concept of social entrepreneurship and related it with the bhartiya tradition of Uddyamita. He discussed how the inclusive and integrated hybrid models of social and market based missions can be the solution for the development of the society.

The model of social entrepreneurship has been evolving as a hope for sustainable development. The bhartiya concept of uddyamita based on the concept of dharma (Swadharma) provides insights for the teachers to craft the young generation of students who have the entrepreneurial traits which promises the social inclusion and service to the environment.The 4S1D framework of social entrepreneurship by Dr. Saurabh was received with enthusiastic discussions by the faculty members from different states of the country. The organisers thanked Dr. Saurabh for his valuable inputs and sharing the concept of social entrepreneurship and its importance for inclusive development.

Mr Ajaz Ul Islam, Research Scholar, School of Business Faculty of Management, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU), Katra, has been declared qualified for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Management. He worked on the topic “Shareholder Activism: An Evidence from India” under the supervision of Dr Sanjay Kumar Mishra, Faculty, School of Business, SMVDU.

The candidate has published papers in the ABDC Journals and participated in various national and international seminars and workshops as part of his PhD requirement. Mr Ajaz Ul Islam has expressed his sincere gratitude to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University and the School of Business for providing a professional and cordial environment during his PhD. Mr Ajaz Ul Islam has expressed his gratitude to his guide, Dr Sanjay Kumar Mishra, and paid his reverence to his parents for continuous support during the PhD.

A webinar session on 'COVID 19 and MSMEs Sector' was conducted by Dr. Supran Kumar Sharma, Dean, Faculty of Management, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU) in a Refresher Course in Commerce & Management at the UGC-Human Resource Development Centre (UGC-HRDC) Kumaun University, Nainital (Uttarakhand). Dr. Sharma explicated that MSMEs sector in India is the second-largest employment generator after agriculture and acts as a breeding ground for entrepreneurs and innovators with considerable support in strengthening the business ecosystem.

Dr. Sharma emphasised that the potential of the Indian MSME sector is still untapped, and that is one of the reasons why government policies are now more convergent towards building a resilient ecosystem with better breadth and depth.Further, Dr. Sharma highlighted how the Ministry of MSME is taking steps towards making these enterprises global and improve the overall business environment, by making it more conducive and transparent for all stakeholders.

Along with Dr. Sharma, Prof. Kalptaru Bandopadhyay, Vidyasagar University, West Bengal and Dr. Mandeep Kaur, Head School of Financial Studies, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar shared the platform for detailed deliberation on the broader issues related to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dr. Rashi Taggar, Assistant Professor, School of Business, conducted sessions on 'Effective usage of Inter-personal Skills and Team-building in Police' in 5-day course on 'Developing Good Communication Skill, Behavior, Attitude and Responsibility of Police Officers towards General Public'. The sessions were highly interactive which included a team-building game, case-study discussions and active participation by the police officers. The contents of the session and the presentation style of Dr. Rashi Taggar were appreciated. The course was organized by Sher-i-Kashmir Police Academy, Udhampur. Dr. Rashi Taggar is actively conducting sessions in management development since 2007.

Dr. Supran Kumar Sharma, Dean, Faculty of Management, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, sensitised the participants through the training session on, “Research Problem Identification & Research Design” in the two-week long UGC sponsored online Refresher Course on ‘Research Methodology for Social Science’ being organized by UGC-Human Resource Development Centre GJUS&T, Hisar.

Dr. Sharma explained that Identification & formulation of a research problem is the first step of the research process. Selection of research problem depends on several factors such as researcher’s knowledge, skills, interest, expertise, motivation & creativity with respect to the subject of inquiry.

The session focused on the understanding the steps in identifying a rational research problem, which works as the first motivator and confident step to a effective, empirical and successful research work and policy implications. Dr Sharma emphasized that a research study can ask three types of questions including descriptive question, relationship question, comparative question and final selection can be made as per requirement of the proposed research work in hand.The session was highly praised by participants and a number of questions were raised by them which were satisfactorily answered by the resource person.

Ms Urja Gupta presented a paper on the topic, titled, "An empirical test of the efficiency of the Indian Stock Market" at the national conference organised by the Department of Management Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi Central University of Bihar. She has awarded the best paper for her presentation. The candidate has worked under the guidance of Dr Sanjay Kumar Mishra (Faculty of SMVDU, MBA). Also, she has received the pre-placement offer from ICICI BANK.