Instituted in September 2023, IFQM is an industry-led movement committed to enabling Indian organisations to become globally competitive and export-capable through quality, innovation and excellence. Over the years, the IFQM National Symposium has evolved into a key platform for advancing India’s quality and innovation agenda.
The inaugural IFQM National Symposium in 2024 opened discussions across the automotive, engineering, aerospace, defence, electronics and digital engineering R&D sectors. The 2025 edition focused on how quality and innovation could make India globally competitive. It identified “Needle Movement”, anchored in a Nation First ethos, and brought together leading industry executives and national and international speakers.
The 2026 edition will introduce a dedicated Pharma and Life Sciences track while expanding its focus on infrastructure and other sectors. Although pharmaceuticals and infrastructure have long operated at scale, neither has previously been part of a structured national quality conversation. The Pharma and Life Sciences track will examine how India can move beyond generics towards innovative medicines, while discussions on infrastructure will explore ways to reimagine the sector for global leadership.
The symposium will bring together industry leaders including Venu Srinivasan, Chairman Emeritus of TVS Motor and Chairman of IFQM; N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons; Dilip Shanghvi, Managing Director of Sun Pharmaceuticals; Dr. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Executive Chairperson of Biocon Group, who will participate virtually; S.N. Subrahmanyan, Chairman and Managing Director of L&T; TV Narendran, CEO and Managing Director of Tata Steel; Dr. Randhir Thakur, CEO and Managing Director of Tata Electronics; K.N. Radhakrishnan, Director and CEO of TVS Motor Company; and Salil Gupte, President of Boeing India and South Asia. Dr. Randhir Thakur is also listed as Managing Director and CEO of Tata Electronics.
Keynote addresses and special sessions will feature leaders from automotive, technology, manufacturing, infrastructure and quality management. The international line-up includes Mr. Euisung (Ernie) Kim, Executive Vice President and Head of Quality Division at Hyundai Motor Group; Mr. Akinori Onodera, President and CEO of EARTHBRAIN Ltd; Mr. Frank Sieren, China specialist and bestselling author; Mr. Masahiko Mori, President and Group CEO of DMG MORI; Mr. Stefan Grosch, Member of the Board of Management and Director of Industrial Relations at Robert Bosch GmbHr; and Mr. Yugo Miyamoto, Managing Director of Kaizen Saudi Arabia, Abdul Latif Jameel. Mr. Masato Onodera, Managing Director of JUSE, will deliver a special address.
The planned panel discussions will cover pharmaceuticals and life sciences, with a focus on moving beyond generics; reimagining infrastructure by shifting from scale to excellence; IFQM’s role as a force multiplier; the journey from humble beginnings to global standards; transforming India into a trusted global electronics hub; and deploying artificial intelligence to make manufacturing and services smarter.
An exclusive session titled “Creating Force Multipliers for the Industry-led Movement – Boardroom Vision to Shop Floor Excellence” will bring together senior CEOs and CXOs to discuss how strategic priorities established in boardrooms can translate into measurable improvements and operational excellence on the shop floor.
Sharing his perspective on the symposium, Mr. Soumitra Bhattacharya, CEO and Director of IFQM, said, “India’s aspiration of Viksit Bharat demands that quality and innovation become national force multipliers. The Symposium is a call to action for industry, government, and academia to embed excellence into every process, product, and partnership. Through insights from eminent speakers and collaborative dialogue among leaders, we aim to identify measurable milestones and practical pathways that help organizations achieve greater impact on this industry-led movement, with enhanced intent, speed, and effectiveness. By driving broader participation from Indian industry and academia, we can accelerate economic growth through the twin engines of Quality and Innovation, ensuring our enterprises lead with credibility, resilience, and impact.”
The previous symposium highlighted the critical role of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in India’s growth and the need to strengthen their quality culture through improved access to finance, technology, skilling, infrastructure and simplified compliance. Despite challenges related to low research and development investment and digitalisation, MSMEs have considerable potential across emerging sectors and global value chains. Strengthening their capabilities remains essential to improving India’s competitiveness, exports and sustainable growth.
Building on these takeaways, the 2026 symposium will examine how India can accelerate its progress towards becoming a self-reliant, inclusive and globally respected nation. Discussions will assess India’s current position in global quality, productivity and innovation; explore pathways towards ambitious 2030 targets; examine the role of industry–academia partnerships in enabling growth; and consider how innovation can address systemic barriers.
Across two days, the symposium will feature more than 25 sessions and over 50 speakers, covering national priorities, sector-specific challenges and cross-cutting enablers.
Day One will feature sessions on Pharma and Life Sciences, infrastructure, IFQM’s cross-sector impact and India’s ambition to establish itself as a trusted global electronics hub. The day will be preceded by a keynote titled “Enabling Viksit Bharat: Quality as National Force Multiplier” by Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Hon’ble Union Minister, and Mr. N. Chandrasekaran, Executive Chairman of Tata Sons.
Another key session, “Powering Viksit Bharat – ‘Scale without boundaries”, will feature Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Hon’ble Minister of Communications and Minister of Development of North-Eastern Region, Government of India, alongside Mr. Venu Srinivasan, Chairman of IFQM.
Day Two will begin with a keynote titled “Wings of Viksit Bharat: Transforming India into a Global Aviation Hub”, featuring Shri Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Hon’ble Minister of Civil Aviation, and Mr. T. V. Narendran, CEO and Managing Director of Tata Steel. Other highlights will include discussions on artificial intelligence for manufacturing and services, as well as the IFQM–JUSE global partnership.
The symposium will conclude with key takeaways from Mr. Soumitra Bhattacharya, CEO and Director of IFQM, and speakers from TVS Motor Company and Tata Steel.
Instituted in 2023, the Indian Foundation for Quality Management is committed to promoting transformative change across Indian industries and institutionalising a culture of quality that meets and exceeds global standards. Its work focuses on continuous improvements in products and services to strengthen the perception of Brand India. With a commitment to prosperity and quality of life, IFQM seeks to help Indian businesses earn global respect through cooperative trust, respect, empathy and mutual sharing. Through its initiatives, the foundation supports India’s journey towards becoming a developed nation by 2047, emphasising innovation, excellence and stakeholder engagement across sectors.
IFQM’s Governing Council comprises Mr. N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons; Mr. Dilip Sanghvi, Managing Director of Sun Pharmaceuticals; Ms. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Executive Chairperson of Biocon Biologics; Mr. TV Narendran, CEO and Managing Director of Tata Steel Limited; Mr. K.N. Radhakrishnan, Director and CEO of TVS Motor Co; Dr. Randhir Thakur, CEO and Managing Director of Tata Electronics Pvt. Ltd.; Mr. Salil Gupte, President of Boeing India and South Asia; Mr. SN Subrahmanyan, Chairman and Managing Director of Larsen & Toubro; and Mr. Venu Srinivasan, Chairman Emeritus of TVS Motor Co and Chairman of IFQM.
Further information about the foundation is available at ifqm.org.in, while details of its events can be accessed at events.ifqm.org.in. IFQM also maintains a presence on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/ifqm
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