IIM Bangalore to host 2026 edition of India Strategy Conference from 13-15 December
Call for proposals now open for South Asia's premier strategy research forum, jointly organized by IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta and ISB
10 June, 2026, Bengaluru: IIM Bangalore will host the India Strategy Conference (ISC) 2026 from 13th to 15th December 2026. Recognized as South Asia's largest annual gathering of strategy scholars and doctoral researchers, the conference is jointly organized by IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta and the Indian School of Business (ISB).
The 2026 edition will be convened under the theme, 'Ecosystems and Strategy: Leveraging Entrepreneurship, Institutions & Technology', bringing together leading scholars from India and around the world to examine how firms, entrepreneurs, institutions and technological systems are reshaping competitive advantage in an increasingly interconnected global economy.
The conference is being chaired by Prof. Suresh Bhagavatula, Chairperson, BBA DBE and faculty of the Entrepreneurship area at IIMB, and Prof. Sai Chittaranjan Kalubandi, faculty of the Strategy area at IIMB, alongside Prof. Anirvan Pant and Prof. Ramya T. Venkateswaran of IIM Calcutta.
The call for proposals is now open. The submission deadline is 16th August 2026.
Call for proposals
The global economic landscape is increasingly defined by the emergence of complex ecosystems. From the rapid growth of digital public infrastructure to the rise of regional innovation hubs, firms no longer compete in isolation. Success now requires navigating a unique confluence of interorganizational networks, agglomerations, national and pan-national regulatory institutions and actors, academic institutions, R&D labs, and venture capital. The conference theme explores how strategy and entrepreneurial activity interact with institutional contexts to create, sustain, and reconfigure competitive advantage in a rapidly transforming competitive landscape. We invite researchers to explore how firms orchestrate internal and external resources to navigate institutional complexities and leverage these ecosystems for strategic advantage and entrepreneurial activity.
By bringing together researchers, educators, and practitioners from across disciplines and geographies, India Strategy Conference 2026 seeks to advance meaningful dialogue on these evolving phenomena and strengthen engagement within the global community of strategy scholars and practitioners.
ISC 2026 welcomes original manuscript proposals that are empirical (qualitative or quantitative), conceptual or purely theoretical in nature and employ strategic management and entrepreneurship theories to investigate the role and impact of ecosystems on strategy, entrepreneurship and strategic decision-making. Proposals carrying out simulations, systematic literature reviews or meta-analyses on the topic are also encouraged. Submissions aligned with the conference theme may address, but are not limited to, the following:
- How do firms interact with and shape their institutional environments to achieve sustainable competitive advantage?
- How do entrepreneurial ventures leverage local and global ecosystems to overcome institutional voids in emerging markets?
- What role do formal and informal institutions play in shaping the competitive dynamics and governance of platform-based ecosystems?
- How do firms reconfigure their business models and resource portfolios to integrate into emerging "green" or sustainable ecosystems?
- In what ways does the interaction between government policy (non-market strategy) and private entrepreneurship drive regional competitive advantage?
- How do incumbents adapt their corporate strategies when disrupted by agile, ecosystem-backed entrepreneurial entrants?
- What are the unique scaling and funding challenges faced by new ventures operating within nascent technological ecosystems?
- How does the orchestrator role in an ecosystem differ between traditional business groups and modern digital platforms?
- How do institutional shifts, such as regulatory changes or geopolitical alignments, necessitate the decoupling or realignment of global strategy ecosystems?
- What role does strategic human capital play in bridging the gap between entrepreneurial firms and institutional stakeholders within an ecosystem?
Submission tracks
Track 1: Conference Theme (Ecosystems and Strategy)
Track 2: Business & Corporate Strategy
Track 3: Technology, Innovation & Digital Transformation
Track 4: Internationalization & Global Strategy
Track 5: ESG, Non-Market Strategy & Sustainability
Track 6: Family Business & Corporate Governance
Track 7: Entrepreneurship
Track 8: Leadership, Organization & Human Capital
Types of sessions
ISC 2026 invites submissions to the following competitive formats:
|
Format |
Research Stage |
Description |
|
Paper Session |
Developed |
This session is suitable for submissions with a clearly developed research question, theoretical framing, empirical design, and findings (or expected findings). Each session will have about 6 paper presentations, including Q&A and feedback from attendees. |
|
Common Ground Session |
Early-Stage |
This format is suitable for early-stage research work and involves highly interactive sessions centered on a shared theme. These bring together 5–8 related proposals, audience members, and a facilitator for discussion rather than sequential presentation. |
|
Poster Presentation |
Nascent |
This format is suited for nascent research and emerging ideas. This format allows for visual dissemination and informal networking with peers and senior scholars. |
Original proposals should:
- Not exceed a total of 7 pages or about 4000 words, inclusive of figures, tables, references and all other material.
- The proposals should use single spacing and not less than 12-point font.
- References are required and must be included in the proposal document using APA style.
- Proposals should include a) Title, not exceeding 100 characters including whitespaces, b) abstract, not exceeding 125 words.
- Proposals should not include author names to maintain confidentiality in the double-blind review process.
The proposals should be submitted directly to the India Strategy Conference 2026 portal. The submissions will be peer-reviewed and select proposals will be published in the conference proceedings (an option will be provided to withdraw from the proceedings). Participants are welcome to volunteer to participate as session chairs and reviewers by contacting the track chairs directly.
For more details on submission guidelines, please read the submission rules on the conference website.
For registration details, accommodation information and other conference-related updates, participants are encouraged to visit the official conference website.
Conference website: https://indiastrategy.org/2026/
Pre-Conference sessions
Complementing the research presentations, ISC 2026 will host a series of special and pre-conference sessions that bring together scholars, practitioners, and academic leaders. These include practitioner dialogues, career conversations with distinguished academics, a directors' panel on advancing global strategy scholarship, and a doctoral consortium designed to provide mentorship and developmental feedback to emerging researchers. The sessions are intended to create opportunities for deeper engagement, professional development and cross-sector learning.
IIM Bangalore to host 2026 edition of India Strategy Conference from 13-15 December
Call for proposals now open for South Asia's premier strategy research forum, jointly organized by IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta and ISB
10 June, 2026, Bengaluru: IIM Bangalore will host the India Strategy Conference (ISC) 2026 from 13th to 15th December 2026. Recognized as South Asia's largest annual gathering of strategy scholars and doctoral researchers, the conference is jointly organized by IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta and the Indian School of Business (ISB).
The 2026 edition will be convened under the theme, 'Ecosystems and Strategy: Leveraging Entrepreneurship, Institutions & Technology', bringing together leading scholars from India and around the world to examine how firms, entrepreneurs, institutions and technological systems are reshaping competitive advantage in an increasingly interconnected global economy.
The conference is being chaired by Prof. Suresh Bhagavatula, Chairperson, BBA DBE and faculty of the Entrepreneurship area at IIMB, and Prof. Sai Chittaranjan Kalubandi, faculty of the Strategy area at IIMB, alongside Prof. Anirvan Pant and Prof. Ramya T. Venkateswaran of IIM Calcutta.
The call for proposals is now open. The submission deadline is 16th August 2026.
Call for proposals
The global economic landscape is increasingly defined by the emergence of complex ecosystems. From the rapid growth of digital public infrastructure to the rise of regional innovation hubs, firms no longer compete in isolation. Success now requires navigating a unique confluence of interorganizational networks, agglomerations, national and pan-national regulatory institutions and actors, academic institutions, R&D labs, and venture capital. The conference theme explores how strategy and entrepreneurial activity interact with institutional contexts to create, sustain, and reconfigure competitive advantage in a rapidly transforming competitive landscape. We invite researchers to explore how firms orchestrate internal and external resources to navigate institutional complexities and leverage these ecosystems for strategic advantage and entrepreneurial activity.
By bringing together researchers, educators, and practitioners from across disciplines and geographies, India Strategy Conference 2026 seeks to advance meaningful dialogue on these evolving phenomena and strengthen engagement within the global community of strategy scholars and practitioners.
ISC 2026 welcomes original manuscript proposals that are empirical (qualitative or quantitative), conceptual or purely theoretical in nature and employ strategic management and entrepreneurship theories to investigate the role and impact of ecosystems on strategy, entrepreneurship and strategic decision-making. Proposals carrying out simulations, systematic literature reviews or meta-analyses on the topic are also encouraged. Submissions aligned with the conference theme may address, but are not limited to, the following:
- How do firms interact with and shape their institutional environments to achieve sustainable competitive advantage?
- How do entrepreneurial ventures leverage local and global ecosystems to overcome institutional voids in emerging markets?
- What role do formal and informal institutions play in shaping the competitive dynamics and governance of platform-based ecosystems?
- How do firms reconfigure their business models and resource portfolios to integrate into emerging "green" or sustainable ecosystems?
- In what ways does the interaction between government policy (non-market strategy) and private entrepreneurship drive regional competitive advantage?
- How do incumbents adapt their corporate strategies when disrupted by agile, ecosystem-backed entrepreneurial entrants?
- What are the unique scaling and funding challenges faced by new ventures operating within nascent technological ecosystems?
- How does the orchestrator role in an ecosystem differ between traditional business groups and modern digital platforms?
- How do institutional shifts, such as regulatory changes or geopolitical alignments, necessitate the decoupling or realignment of global strategy ecosystems?
- What role does strategic human capital play in bridging the gap between entrepreneurial firms and institutional stakeholders within an ecosystem?
Submission tracks
Track 1: Conference Theme (Ecosystems and Strategy)
Track 2: Business & Corporate Strategy
Track 3: Technology, Innovation & Digital Transformation
Track 4: Internationalization & Global Strategy
Track 5: ESG, Non-Market Strategy & Sustainability
Track 6: Family Business & Corporate Governance
Track 7: Entrepreneurship
Track 8: Leadership, Organization & Human Capital
Types of sessions
ISC 2026 invites submissions to the following competitive formats:
|
Format |
Research Stage |
Description |
|
Paper Session |
Developed |
This session is suitable for submissions with a clearly developed research question, theoretical framing, empirical design, and findings (or expected findings). Each session will have about 6 paper presentations, including Q&A and feedback from attendees. |
|
Common Ground Session |
Early-Stage |
This format is suitable for early-stage research work and involves highly interactive sessions centered on a shared theme. These bring together 5–8 related proposals, audience members, and a facilitator for discussion rather than sequential presentation. |
|
Poster Presentation |
Nascent |
This format is suited for nascent research and emerging ideas. This format allows for visual dissemination and informal networking with peers and senior scholars. |
Original proposals should:
- Not exceed a total of 7 pages or about 4000 words, inclusive of figures, tables, references and all other material.
- The proposals should use single spacing and not less than 12-point font.
- References are required and must be included in the proposal document using APA style.
- Proposals should include a) Title, not exceeding 100 characters including whitespaces, b) abstract, not exceeding 125 words.
- Proposals should not include author names to maintain confidentiality in the double-blind review process.
The proposals should be submitted directly to the India Strategy Conference 2026 portal. The submissions will be peer-reviewed and select proposals will be published in the conference proceedings (an option will be provided to withdraw from the proceedings). Participants are welcome to volunteer to participate as session chairs and reviewers by contacting the track chairs directly.
For more details on submission guidelines, please read the submission rules on the conference website.
For registration details, accommodation information and other conference-related updates, participants are encouraged to visit the official conference website.
Conference website: https://indiastrategy.org/2026/
Pre-Conference sessions
Complementing the research presentations, ISC 2026 will host a series of special and pre-conference sessions that bring together scholars, practitioners, and academic leaders. These include practitioner dialogues, career conversations with distinguished academics, a directors' panel on advancing global strategy scholarship, and a doctoral consortium designed to provide mentorship and developmental feedback to emerging researchers. The sessions are intended to create opportunities for deeper engagement, professional development and cross-sector learning.