BY JYOTHSNA HEGDE
Photos by Magic Dust Photography
Atlanta, GA, February 20, 2025: The USA-India Business Summit and Georgia Tech Global Business Forum convened a dynamic seminar on Sustainability, AI & Digitalization: Global Drivers of Growth, uniting thought leaders, industry experts, and policymakers to explore technology’s transformative impact on global business. Hosted at Georgia Tech on February 12th and virtually on February 13th, the event delved into key topics such as the future of sustainability and ESG, workforce challenges in the AI era, data-driven enterprise growth, and cybersecurity best practices for competitive advantage. It also spotlighted India’s technological expertise and the integration of AI and IoT in manufacturing, underscoring how innovation and digital transformation fuel sustainable economic progress. Through thought-provoking discussions and strategic collaborations, the forum served as a catalyst for navigating opportunities and challenges at the intersection of technology, sustainability, and global commerce.
“This summit highlighted how businesses can integrate sustainability, AI, and digitalization to enhance efficiency, innovation, and growth,” event Co-Chair, Ani Agnihotri, UIBS said. “By bringing together thought leaders and professionals, we aim to foster meaningful conversations and actionable strategies for the future.”
Select Featured Speakers included Hon. L. Ramesh Babu, Consul General of India; Dev Ahuja, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Novelis Inc3, Vish M. Narendra, Sr. VP and CIO, Graphic Packaging International; Bala Subramanian, EVP & Chief Digital and Technology Officer, UPS; Paul Frederickson, Sr. Vice-President, Georgia-Pacific Operations Technology Solution Group, Georgia-Pacific; Hon. Lisa Cupid, Chairwoman, Cobb County Board of Commissioners; Hon. Urs Brönnimann, Consul General of Switzerland; Anant R Adya, Executive Vice-President and Head Cloud, Infrastructure and Security Services (CIS) for Americas and APAC, Infosys; Ravi Venkatesan, CEO & Board of Director, Cantaloupe Inc.; Stan Sthanunathan, CEO, i-Genie.ai & Lakshamanan Chidambaram, President and Head of Americas Leadership Council, Tech Mahindra and the Americas Head, Mahindra Group.
“The key challenge is one of continuous growth in the midst of constant change. This conference addressed these paradoxical dimensions and point to strategic avenues,” event Co-Chair, Dr. John R. McIntyre, Scheller College of Business, Georgia Tech, said.
Hon. Consul General of India in Atlanta, Ramesh Babu Lakshmanan, highlighted the strong trade relationship between the US and India, with the total trade value of goods and services currently at $200 billion and projected to reach $500 billion by 2030. He emphasized that key growth drivers in the coming years will include Digital Transformation, AI, Quantum Computing, Clean Energy, and Defense Technology.
Quoting Indian Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi from the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit, Paris (held on February 11, 2025), “AI can help transform millions of lives by improving health, education, agriculture and so much more. It can help create a world in which the journey to Sustainable Development Goals becomes easier and faster,” Lakshmanan Chidambaram, President, Tech Mahindra and Head, Mahindra Group Americas who participated in the Summit for the first time, said.
“In terms of annual revenues, our annual revenues are 16.2 billion, our annual adjusted EBITDA is of the order of 1.9 billion. We recycle 2.3 million tons of aluminum. And if you consider that as a proportion to the total shipments that we do which is about 3.7 million tons that’s a very, very large proportion of recycled content. Our recycled content is around 63%. That is really what makes the whole value proposition of sustainability extremely important for us,” Dev Ahuja, EVP and CFO, Novelis Inc, said in his keynote address. Novelis, a global leader in aluminum production and recycling, focuses on sustainability through its high-recycled-content products and circular economy initiatives. Aluminum, known for its infinite recyclability without quality loss, saves up to 95% of energy when recycled compared to primary production. The company operates 32 facilities across four continents, employing over 13,000 people. Novelis has set ambitious sustainability targets, including carbon neutrality by 2050 and a 30% CO2 reduction by 2026 (from a 2016 baseline). As Ahuja noted, the company recycles 2.3 million tons of aluminum annually, achieving a 63% recycled content rate. It partners with major automotive, beverage, and aerospace brands, employing closed-loop recycling systems to reduce waste. Investments in renewable energy, such as solar power and alternative fuels, support its sustainability goals. Novelis is expanding its recycling infrastructure, including new plants in Kentucky, Korea, and a $4.1 billion facility in Alabama. Its “3 by 30” vision aims to advance aluminum’s role in a circular economy and enhance sustainability efforts worldwide.
“We actually transport 6% of US GDP 2% of world GDP every single day. If UPS doesn’t work for five days, that’s considered a recession because 30% of GDP doesn’t move. ..and we are in 220 countries. We actually have over half a million people at any given, we are the seventh largest airline. At any given time, we have at least 50 to 100 flights that’s still on the air. So the scale of us is very, very large,” Bala Subramanian, EVP & Chief Digital and Technology Officer, UPS said. He also talked about UPS India Technology Center in Chennai, India which employs about a thousand people and is continuing to grow. Company’s approach, he noted, is not about low costs in India but to identify and work where the talent is. Similarly, UPS has development centers in Europe and in the US and that is how they achieve successful transportation.
Bottom row: Anant Adya, EVP and Head for Americas and APAC, Infosys; Bala Subramanian, EVP & Chief Digital and Technology Officer, UPS; and Dev Ahuja, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Novelis Inc.
Subramanian discussed UPS’s strategic focus on technology, AI, and global logistics, emphasizing adaptability and continuous improvement. He highlighted UPS’s investments, including a technology center in Chennai, India, and its role in global trade, handling significant portions of the U.S. and world GDP. AI plays a crucial role in optimizing delivery routes, automating processes, and enhancing efficiency, effectiveness, and innovation. UPS leverages advanced logistics for healthcare, including vaccine transportation and time-sensitive medical deliveries. He stressed the importance of balancing quick efficiency gains with long-term innovation and ensuring technology investments align with business value. He noted that UPS also explores emerging technologies like drone deliveries and VR training while maintaining strong customer-centric strategies. The discussion concluded with an appreciation for collaboration with academic institutions, reinforcing the importance of shared learning and innovation.
Roshan Shah, Vice President – AI & Products, Georgia-Pacific LLC, underscored Georgia-Pacific’s integration of AI, automation, and technology since 2018 to enhance manufacturing, accentuating strong ties with Georgia Tech support recruitment and innovation. The company, he said, operates 140 connected facilities and has expanded AI-driven processes to Guardian Glass. To address workforce experience loss, AI aids decision-making and efficiency. With 800 autonomous vehicles and proprietary Digital Mezzanine technology, Georgia-Pacific enhances predictive maintenance and process control. The initiative has grown from four to 150 employees, showcasing industry leadership and value creation.
The seminar provided a comprehensive exploration of the evolving US-India trade and business relations, emphasizing opportunities for collaboration in technology, digitalization, and sustainability. Experts analyzed global workforce challenges, highlighting AI’s role in addressing skill gaps and enhancing productivity. Discussions on AI for purpose, augmented intelligence, and enterprise AI solutions underscored the transformative potential of data-driven organizations and digitalization in shaping business strategies. The impact of AI on marketing, manufacturing, and self-service commerce showcased its role in operational efficiency and customer engagement. Business immigration updates provided insights into talent mobility, while AI governance systems in the US, EU, and China were compared for regulatory advancements. Sustainability leadership, particularly through Novelis, illustrated corporate commitment to responsible growth. The forum also debated the merits of LLMs versus Specialized Domain Models (SDMs) for competitive advantage, stressing innovation in generative AI while balancing sustainability. The discussions collectively emphasized that AI, digitalization, and strategic technology transformation are key drivers of economic growth and global competitiveness.
Cover photo: Event Co-Chairs Dr. McIntyre and Agnihotri with participants.
