New Delhi, Sep 04: The Indian Foundation for Quality Management will host the third edition of the National IFQM Symposium on 05 – 06 October 2026 at Taj Palace, New Delhi., themed on “Quality, Innovation and Excellence – Be the Force Multiplier,”. The symposium will bring together India’s senior-most industry leaders, global quality experts, policymakers, and academia to address one question: how does India convert its manufacturing ambitions into a credible, trusted global presence.
IFQM is led by a Board and Governing Council consisting of top industry captains. Building on the success of the 2024 and 2025 editions, the 2026 Symposium will highlight the transformative practices while fostering government-industry – academia collaboration.
The 2026 edition breaks new ground on two fronts – Pharma and Life Sciences enters the agenda with a fireside conversation on moving India beyond generics toward innovative medicine – with Dilip Sanghvi, Dr. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, and Glenn Saldanha in the same room. Infrastructure gets its own track for the first time, with a panel on reimagining India’s infrastructure for global leadership, led by S.N. Subrahmanyan, Chairman & MD, Larsen & Toubro. Both sectors have long operated at scale, but neither has been part of a structured national quality conversation.
The two-day program will have more than 25 sessions with keynotes, fireside conversations, sectoral deep dives, and thematic tracks covering Automotive, Engineering, Aerospace, Electronics, Textile, Leather, and AI in manufacturing. It is a by-invite event, with over 300 CEOs and CXOs, MSME representatives, and more than 50+ academic leaders and students expected to participate in the sessions.
From India’s industrial leadership eminent leaders like Venu Srinivasan, N. Chandrasekara, Dilip Sanghvi, Dr. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, S.N. Subrahmanyan, TV Narendran, Dr. Randhir Thakur, K.N. Radhakrishnan, Salil Gupte, Glenn Saldanha, and Hari Marar.
There will be six global keynotes will be given by EuiSung Kim, Dr. Masahiko Mori, Stefan Grosch, Yugo Miyamoto, Akinori Onodera, and Frank Sieren and each of them runs quality programs at scale in their organisations and their presence at a single Indian forum is unusual.
Sharing his thoughts about the event, Mr. Soumitra Bhattacharya, CEO & Director, IFQM, said,
“India’s aspiration of Viksit Bharat demands that quality and innovation become national force multipliers. The Symposium is not just a forum—it is a call to action for industry, government, and academia to embed excellence into every process, product, and partnership. Through insights from eminent speakers and collaborative dialogue among leaders, we aim to identify measurable milestones and practical pathways that help organizations achieve greater impact on this industry-led movement, with enhanced intent, speed, and effectiveness. By driving broader participation from Indian industry and academia, we can accelerate economic growth through the twin engines of Quality and Innovation, ensuring our enterprises lead with credibility, resilience, and impact.”
The IFQM National Symposium has grown into India’s principal platform for the quality and innovation agenda. The inaugural edition in 2024 opened with sector-specific discussions across Automotive, Engineering, Aerospace, Defence, Electronics, and Digital Engineering R&D. The 2025 edition is themed on the “Needle Movement,” brought more than 350 leaders and 40+ national and international speakers. The 2026 edition picks up where that one left off with a sharper focus, a wider sectoral net, and a Pharma and Life Sciences track making its debut.
The keynote addresses will be given by:
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Enabling Viksit Bharat: Quality as National Force Multiplier – Union Minister and Governing Council member
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Leading with Quality: Creating Sustainable Competitive Advantage – EuiSung Kim, Exec. Vice President – Head of Quality, Hyundai Motor Group
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Quality as a Leadership Agenda: Boardroom to Shopfloor – Stefan Grosch, Global Board Member, Robert Bosch GmbH
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Smart Construction: Building the Future with Intelligence and Innovation – Akinori Onodera, President, Earth Brain, JV Komatsu Group
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From Quality to Credibility: Building Trust at Global Scale – Dr. Masahiko Mori, President, DMG MORI
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From Incremental to Breakthrough: Reimagining Kaizen at Scale – Yugo Miyamoto, Kaizen Saudi Arabia, Abdul Latif Jameel Company
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Execution Excellence: The China Way – Frank Sieren, China expert, author, and journalist
The Panel Discussions will be on:
- Pharma and Life Sciences: Moving Beyond Generics – Pioneering Global Leadership in Innovative Medicine
- From Scale to Excellence: Reimagining Infrastructure for India’s Global Leadership
- IFQM as Force Multiplier – Measurable Impact Across Sectors
- Modest Beginnings to Global Aspirations: The Force Multiplier Playbook
- Transforming India into a Trusted Global Electronics Hub
- Making Business Smart: Deploying AI for Manufacturing and Services