Prof. ShabbirHusain R.V. represents SPJIMR at Asia Dialogue Forum

SPJIMR recently served as the Knowledge Partner for the SpeakIn Asia Dialogues Forum 2026 held in Mumbai. Prof. ShabbirHusain R.V., faculty member in the Marketing area at SPJIMR, represented the institute at the forum as chief guest and panel moderator.

Prof. Husain, who also serves as Chairperson of the Post Graduate Executive Management Programme (PGEMP) and the Post Graduate Programme in Marketing and Business Management (PGPMBM), moderated discussions around the theme, ‘Rewriting the rules of attention: How leaders are building influence and impact in an AI-first era’. The session brought together senior industry leaders from ICICI Lombard, Tata Consultancy Services, JioStar, SymphonyAI, Dell Technologies, Akasa Air, and NSE India among others to examine how organisations can navigate a rapidly evolving business landscape shaped by artificial intelligence (AI), digital transformation, and changing consumer expectations.

Drawing on both academic insight and industry experience, Prof. Husain highlighted a critical challenge facing organisations today: in an AI-first era, attention is not the final prize. The real challenge is converting attention into trust, better decisions, and meaningful value creation.

Reflecting on the changing nature of brand influence, he noted that organisations no longer have complete control over their narratives. Customers, creators, employees, communities, algorithms, and AI systems increasingly shape how brands are perceived and interpreted. As a result, businesses must move beyond visibility and focus on building credibility, relevance, and long-term trust.

Prof. Husain emphasised that AI should not merely help brands capture attention faster; it should help people understand, compare, and make better decisions. He also underscored the importance of consumer wisdom as a guiding lens, encouraging organisations to move beyond asking, “Can we get attention?” to considering, “Should we get attention in this way?”

Sharing a customer-centric framework for sustainable growth, he highlighted the relevance of the SAVE model — Solution, Access, Value, and Education — as an approach that shifts the focus from products and promotion towards creating meaningful customer outcomes. “AI may help brands win a moment of attention, but only trust and value creation can turn that moment into influence,” said Prof. Husain.

Prof. Husain’s insights reflected SPJIMR’s commitment to value-based, practice-oriented management education that combines academic rigour with real-world relevance. Rooted in customer centricity and responsible leadership, the institute continues to contribute thought leadership on how organisations can create lasting impact in an increasingly technology-driven world.