Inaugural Speaker: Dr S Mahendra Dev, Chairman, EAC-PM
Dr S Mahendra Dev is the Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM). He was the Director and Vice Chancellor, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR) in Mumbai for 12 years during 2010-2022. He was Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington, D.C. He did Ph.D. from the Delhi School of Economics and post-doctoral from Yale University, USA.
Dr S Mahendra Dev has been a consultant and adviser to many international organizations, such as UNDP, World Bank, International Food Policy Research Institute, UNESCO, ILO, FAO, ESCAP, UNICEF, DFID, and OECD. He has been a member of several government committees in India, including the Prime Minister’s Task Force on Employment chaired by Dr. Montek Ahulwalia, advisory committee for the National Commission on the Enterprises in the Unorganized sector, member of the Committee on Financial Inclusion chaired by Dr. C. Rangarajan, member of the Expert Group on Poverty chaired by Dr. C. Rangarajan. He is also member of several committees of NITI Ayog. He was also an independent director in Axis Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank.
Ecofluence 3.0: The Context
Ecofluence 3.0 grew out of a simple but urgent observation at IBA Bangalore: economic thinking often struggles to keep pace with technological change. Digital India initiatives, Aadhaar-linked service delivery, platform-based labour markets are all transforming Indian business, economic and social landscape. Positioned as an International Economics Conference, Ecofluence 3.0 creates space for dialogue that feels grounded rather than abstract. The focus is not just on what’s happening, but why it matters - and how scholars and decision makers can respond. By hosting this platform, IBA Bangalore continues its tradition of connecting rigorous scholarship with practical relevance, especially in the area of Economics and Public Policy.
Conference Theme: Why it Matters Today?
The theme of IBA’s Ecofluence 3.0 “Economics and Public Policy for India in the Digital Century” is very timely. India’s digital economy has expanded rapidly, but growth has come with friction. Think about the digital divide that still separates urban fintech users from rural citizens with limited connectivity. Or the cybersecurity risks facing public digital infrastructure. Or even the gig economy, where flexibility often collides with questions around labour rights and social protection.
Ecofluence 3.0 is designed to understand and address these tensions. It asks how policy can balance innovation with inclusion, and speed with safeguards. Data privacy, digital sovereignty, algorithmic bias - these aren’t niche concerns anymore. They sit at the heart of economic development and governance in the digital economy that India is building.
Conference Tracks: Three distinct experiences
IBA Bangalore’s Ecofluence 3.0 will host three flagship tracks, each designed with a different kind of participant in mind.
- The Paper Presentations track is where careful thinking takes centre stage. Researchers present original work on economics and public policy, engage with peer feedback, and refine ideas that can shape future scholarship. Selected papers move toward indexed journal publication, complete with DOI allocation - an outcome that genuinely matters for academic careers.
- Then there’s the Economics Research Championship, which adds an element of challenge and visibility. This track rewards clarity, relevance, and methodological strength, encouraging participants to communicate complex ideas with confidence.
- And finally, the Economics Debate Championship. This is where ideas meet energy. Participants tackle contemporary policy questions - platform regulation, digital taxation, data governance - and argue them out in real time. What stands out most is how these debates sharpen thinking, even when opinions differ.
Conference Speakers: Policy Makers, Academic Leaders
The conference will be addressed by policy makers, academic leaders and luminaries from India’s leading organizations and institutions. Here is a list of key speakers from the conference.
In Inauguration Ceremony will be addressed by Dr. Mahendra Dev, Chairman, PM’s Economic Advisory Council and Dr Charan Singh, CEO and Founder Director, E-Grow Foundation and former Professor IIMB and Dr. R.S. Deshpande, ICSSR, National fellow, Director (Retd), ISEC, Bangalore.
The session on Digital Economy, Technology and Public Policy will be addressed by Dr. Shishir Jha, Professor, Ashank Desai Centre for Public Policy Studies, IIT Bombay and Dr. Pravakar Sahoo, Senior Lead, NITI Aayog.
The session on Development Economics, Experience and Trends Ecofluence will host many leading speakers including Dr. MH Suryanarayana, Member, Committee on Regional Inequalities in Karnataka, Govt of Karnataka; Dr. Ashok Dalwai, IAS (Retd), Chairman, Agricultural Commission, Karnataka; Dr. Lallan Prasad, Dean Retd., Department of Economics, Delhi; Dr. Suresh Agarwal, Visiting Professor, Institute for Human Development, New Delhi among others.
Shri. Ananta Hegde, Chief General Manager, Bank Note Paper Mill India Private Limited, Mysore will deliver a special address.
Day two of the conference will witness a session on Public Finance and Governance which will be addressed by Dr. R. K. Mishra, Director (Retd), Institute of Public Enterprise, Hyderabad; Dr. N.R Bhanumurthy, Director, Madras School of Economics; Dr. S.S. Somra, NITI Aayog Chair and HOD, Economics, Rajasthan University; Dr. K. Gayatri, Prof. (Retd.) ISEC Bangalore and Faculty, Fiscal Policy Institute, Govt. of Karnataka; Dr. Yashwant Kumar, Principal Accountant General, Government of India, Chhattisgarh, Dr. Nagesh Prabhu, Senior Deputy Editor, The Hindu, Bangalore
Senior representatives from Deccan Herald, CII New Delhi, Bangalore University, Mysore University, Ghokhle Institute of Political Economy, Pune and many other organizations will address the forum.
There will be a detailed discussion on the economy of Karnataka and the future directions. Representatives from State planning board and state government High Power committee will be part of the discussion.
The Valedictory shall be addressed by Dr. Sachin Chaturvedi, VC Nalanda University and Dr. S Gurumurthy, Noted Thinker and Commentator. Their confirmations are awaited.
Lessons for Different Stakeholders
Different stakeholders will attend and draw different lessons from Ecofluence 3.0. Researchers value the chance to publish, present, and receive thoughtful critique in an Academic conference in India context that feels internationally benchmarked.
Policy professionals and industry participants will find something else: perspective. Listening to fresh research on gig labour models or digital public goods can reframe day-to-day decision-making. Students shall gain exposure, confidence, and certificates that signal serious engagement with economics beyond the classroom.
Sharing their expectations, Prof. Prashant Kulkarni from IBA, Co-Chair of the conference said, “Ecofluence 3.0 isn’t about predicting the future of India’s digital economy - it’s about influencing it. If you’re interested in economics and public policy, if you care about how technology reshapes development, and if you value conversations that challenge rather than comfort, this is your platform.”
To be held at IBA Bangalore’s campus on Kanakapura Main Road, Indus Business Academy (IBA) Bangalore’s national conference Ecofluence 3.0 will contribute significantly to dialogue on vital issues related to India’s digital economy. The conference will bring together speakers from leading institutions including CII, NITI Aayog, IIM B, ICSSR, IIT Bombay, Bangalore University and others. The conference is being held in association with Indian Economic Association (IEA) and Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS), and is also supported by AMDISA.
To address the policy implications of India’s rapidly evolving digital transformation, Indus Business Academy (IBA) Bangalore is organizing a national conference titled Ecofluence 3.0 on February 20-21, 2026. Dr. S. Mahendra Dev, Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), Government of India will inaugurate the conference, and will deliver the inaugural address. The conference will be addressed by thinkers from India’s leading institutions including CII, NITI Aayog, IIMB, ICSSR, IIT Bombay, Bangalore University and others. The conference is being held in association with Indian Economic Association (IEA) and Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS), and is also supported by AMDISA.