The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bodh Gaya hosted the International Conference on Marketing (ICM 2.0) on 14-15 March 2026, bringing together scholars, researchers, and practitioners from around the world to discuss the growing influence of artificial intelligence and data on consumer experiences and marketing strategies. Organised around the theme “AI-led Transformation in Consumer Experience and Marketing Strategies,” the conference provided a platform to examine the evolving relationship between technology, consumer behaviour, and business decision-making. Discussions highlighted how marketing is shifting from traditional mass communication to predictive and personalised engagement powered by AI and advanced analytics.
Delivering the welcome address, Prof. Vinita S. Sahay, Director of IIM Bodh Gaya and Conference Patron, shared the institute’s vision of fostering impactful research and preparing students for an increasingly technology-driven and data-centric economy. She highlighted the institute’s initiatives to integrate artificial intelligence into learning, research, and institutional processes to equip future leaders for a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
The conference featured keynote addresses by Prof. Anand K. Jaiswal (IIM Ahmedabad), Prof. Aditya Gupta (Texas State University), Prof. Geeta Menon (New York University), Prof. Madhu Viswanathan (Indian School of Business, Hyderabad), Prof. Shaphali Gupta (IIM Kozhikode), and Prof. Weng Marc Lim (Sunway University). Their talks explored AI-driven marketing, the evolution of digital markets, intelligent recommender systems, and the growing strategic value of data in business decision-making.
Speakers emphasised how technologies such as machine learning, predictive analytics, and data intelligence are enabling deeper consumer insights and personalised experiences while also raising important questions around data privacy, ethics, and responsible use of technology.
The conference was graced by Chief Guest Prof. Sachin Chaturvedi, Vice Chancellor of Nalanda University, who reflected on the broader societal implications of AI. He emphasised the importance of building trust in technology, adopting a people-first approach to technological change, and prioritising continuous reskilling to help societies adapt to rapid innovation, aligning technological progress with people, planet, and progress.
The conference was organised around six thematic tracks covering marketing analytics, consumer behaviour in digital economies, AI-led communication strategies, sectoral applications of AI, sustainability and ethics, and emerging research methods.
ICM 2.0 received over 260 research submissions, with 205 papers accepted following a rigorous peer-review process. The conference was convened by Dr. Pinaz Tiwari, Dr. Anup A. Soren, and Dr. Chandan Parsad, who oversaw the academic and organisational coordination of the event. It attracted participants from industry, academia, and research communities, including scholars from several Institutes of National Importance such as IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, and IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, along with other leading universities and institutions. Over the two-day conference, more than 120 research presentations were delivered across offline and online tracks.
Through keynote sessions, technical discussions, and research presentations, ICM 2.0 reinforced IIM Bodh Gaya’s role as a platform for global academic dialogue on emerging themes in marketing, technology, and artificial intelligence, amongst several other domains.
