On August 3, 2025, SDA Bocconi Asia Center, Mumbai, hosted the eighth edition of TEDxBocconiUMumbai. Over the years, this event has grown into one of the most anticipated platforms at the Center, offering students and professionals an opportunity to engage with ideas that spark change and challenge assumptions. With the theme “What’s Next – Embracing the Unseen Possibilities,” this year’s edition was a celebration of resilience, reinvention, and purpose in a rapidly shifting world.
The day began with a welcome address by IMB Edition 13 students, and hosts Poorva Arora and Priyanshu Jain, who set the tone by reflecting on the legacy of TEDxBocconiUMumbai and the power of ideas to transform perspectives. This was followed by the opening speech from Alessandro Giuliani, Managing Director of SDA Bocconi Asia Center, who emphasized that passion driven by purpose is the key to turning academic knowledge into real-world impact. Student organizers Sakshi Agarwal and Aadil Agrawal further shared their vision for the event, urging the audience to remain curious and courageous in exploring what lies beyond the known.
The morning session introduced the audience to stories of resilience and reinvention from diverse fields. Professor Deva Rangarajan, faculty at SDA Bocconi Asia Center, and IESEG School of Management, Paris, drew upon his extensive experience in B2B marketing and sales to highlight how academia and industry can collaborate to navigate change. Viveck Shettyy, Founder and CEO of Indus Communications, spoke about his journey in media and branding while also reflecting on his role as a life coach who inspires balance in everyday lives. Former Naval Officer Shivani Shukla, now leading Digital Procurement Global Operations at Sanofi, shared her remarkable story of breaking barriers in the armed forces and later transitioning into corporate leadership. Closing the session was poet and storyteller Kanika Choudhary, who captivated the audience with narratives of vulnerability, healing, and identity, reminding everyone of the strength in authentic expression.
After a short lunch and networking break, the afternoon session resumed with a student performance that set the mood for another round of inspiring talks. Krishan Mishra, CEO of FPSB India, spoke about the importance of financial literacy and how professional excellence can create empowered futures. Utsav Malhotra, COO of Noise, described the fast-paced world of wearable technology and the ways in which consumer insights and digital innovation are reshaping the industry. Offering a different dimension, Dr. Sundeep Kochar, celebrity astrologer and life coach, encouraged the audience to realign themselves with wisdom that blends both cosmic and practical perspectives. The final speaker, composer and lyricist Samiir, left a lasting impression with his reflections on how creativity and music carry the power to move, heal, and inspire.
As the event drew to a close, organizers Sakshi Agarwal and Aadil Agrawal returned to the stage to thank the School, speakers, sponsors, attendees, and the entire student TedX team. The formal proceedings ended with a networking and Hi-Tea session, where participants continued to exchange ideas and build connections.
With this eighth edition, TEDxBocconiUMumbai reaffirmed its position as a space where students are not passive listeners but active participants in conversations that matter. By bringing together voices from academia, business, the arts, the armed forces, and beyond, the event once again highlighted that the future is not something to be feared. Instead, it is to be embraced with curiosity and courage, ensuring that knowledge, when shared, becomes the bridge to unseen possibilities.