‘SMEs are the engine that create a new economy,’ said Prof Ram Charan, global advisor to CEOs while addressing entrepreneurs, business leaders, and professionals at the Leadership Conclave on ‘Leadership That Delivers’ recently organised by WPU Goa in association with BNI Goa Region.
The conclave was one of the initiatives by WPU Goa for industry outreach and industry capacity building, particularly for SMEs and emerging business leaders in Goa. WPU Goa is a future-focused university built on the principles of transdisciplinary learning, experiential pedagogy, and continuous interaction with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and practitioners to prepare students for the evolving global landscape. The initiative reflects WPU Goa’s belief that universities must play an active role not only in educating students, but also in strengthening leadership capacity, innovation ecosystems, and entrepreneurial growth within the larger economy.
As a globally respected advisor to CEOs, boards, and institutions, Prof. Ram Charan continues to engage with WPU Goa as a mentor, thought partner, and part of the university’s broader leadership and core visioning group. During the leadership deep-dive session at the conclave, Prof. Ram Charan highlighted that learning must continuously enhance an individual’s ‘capacity’ to grow, lead, and adapt in rapidly changing business environments. Stressing the importance of scalable leadership for SMEs, he advised entrepreneurs to focus on ‘clarity,’ ‘specificity and actions,’ and long-term conviction while building organisations.
Speaking extensively on business growth and execution, he said that founders must ‘focus on a few things, go into depth, get them done,’ rather than attempting too many priorities simultaneously. He further emphasised that businesses should ‘build processes that will expand your capacity’ instead of remaining dependent entirely on the founder. Highlighting the need for organisational evolution, he encouraged leaders to ‘delegate,’ ‘automate,’ and ‘digitize’ in order to scale sustainably.
Drawing examples from global business leaders, Prof Ram Charan noted that successful entrepreneurs build conviction around their vision and attract capable talent despite uncertainty and limited resources. He stated that entrepreneurs should have the courage to recruit ‘people better than you’ who can ‘raise the bar’ and help organisations grow beyond the founder’s personal bandwidth.
Addressing SME founders on practical business challenges, he highlighted key issues including access to financing, attracting experienced professionals, delegation, prioritisation, and resistance to change. Encouraging continuous learning and mentorship, he advised entrepreneurs to move beyond ‘buzzwords’ and focus on execution, learning habits, and disciplined leadership practices that create long-term value.
Speaking on the role of education in nation-building and leadership, Dr. Rahul Karad founder WPU Goa, emphasised that universities must become ‘centers for transformation of the country’ and create an ‘open environment’ rooted in India’s value systems. He further stressed that education, cinema, media, sports, and spiritual leaders collectively shape society, adding that ‘universities only can really set the direction’ for future generations and national transformation.
Speaking about Goa’s development and the university’s vision for the state, Dr Ashish Bhardwaj, Pro Vice Chancellor, WPU GOA said, “Goa presents itself as a vibrant, multicultural, agile economy where global thinking stands in harmony with local wisdom and traditional knowledge. For us, Goa is a living lab of new ideas, progress, sustainability, and shared prosperity. WPU Goa is deeply committed to lead the transformation in higher education with the support, engagement, and expertise of Goa’s business leaders and communities to strengthen the social, cultural, and financial ecosystem and economy of Goa.”
The event also featured the WPU Goa Leadership Excellence Awards, where distinguished SME and corporate leaders were felicitated for their contribution to business, innovation, and leadership. Through these awards, WPU Goa seeks to acknowledge leaders who are not only driving enterprise growth but also contributing to regional transformation, innovation ecosystems, and broader societal progress, reinforcing the university’s commitment to building stronger connections between academia, industry, and emerging leadership.
Later in the day, former Group President and Chief Technology Officer of Anand Group, Sunil Kaul, spoke on leadership for MSMEs and stressed that business success comes from understanding problems deeply and converting challenges into opportunities. He highlighted the importance of learning through failures, maintaining financial discipline, and focusing on ethical governance and the ‘quality of profit.’
Speaking on ‘Leadership for Sustainable Growth,’ Mr Ashwini Malhotra, Vice Chairman, Weikfield Food Pvt Ltd said that leadership must guide organisations toward ‘long-term success, and not just short-term profits,’ while balancing economic growth, environmental sustainability, and social responsibility. He noted that ‘true economic value is created due to ethical values,’ adding that ethical leadership builds trust, goodwill, and sustainable profitability.
Through the conclave, WPU Goa highlighted its vision of building stronger industry-academia partnerships with industry leaders, management thinkers, entrepreneurs, and practitioners to nurture future-ready talent, leadership capabilities, and innovation-driven growth ecosystems for Goa and the broader business community.
