The Inaugural Function – NIQR GLOBAL QUALITY CONVENTION

Glimpses of Inaugural Function – 18th NIQR Global Quality Convention

The 18^thNIQR Global Quality Convention, hosted by Chennai Branch was held on 28^th& 29^th August, 2025 at Hotel Feathers, Manapakkam, Chennai. The Inaugural Function was held in a grand manner at 9.30 AM on 28^th August.

The Inaugural Function started with the invocation song by Shri Giridharan followed by lighting of Kuthuvilakku by the dignitaries.

The convention was launched through a video by Guest of Honour,Mr. Eisenhower Swaminathan,President, Public Health.

A video about NIQR was launched byChief Guest Dr. V Sumantran, Former Chairman, Indigo Airlines.

Mr. R. Sriram, Convention Chairman and Chairman of NIQR Chennai Branch welcomed the delegates and eminent personalities from major Industries and Institutions across the country.

Quoting the Bhagavad Gita — “Excellence in action is yoga” — and Tamil classics — “Only those who live by their skilled effort truly live” — he emphasized that leadership begins with excellence in work, pursued with skill, dedication, and sincerity.

He drew inspiration from timeless examples of resilience: ancient temples like Brihadeeswara, Meenakshi, and Rameswaram, which stand tall even after a thousand years, and modern achievements like Chandrayaan-3, where persistence after setbacks placed India on the lunar map; he highlighted how resilience and agility are timeless virtues of leadership.

Lessons from Toyota and Kaizen reinforced that quality must never be compromised, and challenges demand adaptability. He affirmed that resilience gives strength, agility enables change, and together they redefine leadership for the 21st century.

Mr. Murali Shankar, National President, NIQR in his Presidential Address welcomed delegates, highlighting NIQR’s mission since 1987 to transform mindsets and make quality a way of life. He stressed that in turbulent times — trade wars, global conflicts, and economic shifts — resilience and agility in leadership are vital.

He showcased NIQR’s contributions through Six Sigma competitions, Industry 4.0 programs, MSME initiatives, and student engagement. He emphasized that MSMEs are key to India’s growth, and NIQR is committed to building their capabilities through clusters, training, and tailored programs. He closed with gratitude to sponsors and a call to take back actionable learnings from the convention.

Dr. V. Swaminathan, Convention Mentor & Senior National Vice Presidentwarmly introduced the convention’s dignitaries and recalled NIQR’s tradition of drawing global expertise. He presented Prof. Suzuki of Japan as a distinguished authority in reliability engineering and quality management, highlighting his decades of contributions, Deming Prize, and collaborations with leading Indian companies. He set the stage for Suzuki’s keynote by underlining the value of international perspectives in shaping India’s quality movement.

Prof. Kazuyuki Suzuki through a Video Message from Japan conveyed greetings from Japan, praising NIQR’s theme on resilience and agility. He reminded that true strength is tested in adversity, urging leaders to identify and polish their core strengths, turning crises into opportunities. He outlined six imperatives for future-ready leadership: resilience, innovation-driven culture, sustainability, workforce transformation, AI with data integrity, and human-centric Quality 5.0. His key call was for India, Japan, and the global quality community to unite, transform adversity into strength, and build organizations trusted by society and resilient to global shocks.

Guest of Honour, Mr. Eisenhower Swaminathan, President, Public Health Center

Mr. Eisenhower’s powerful reflections on the circular economy illuminated how sustainability is no longer an option — it is the foundation of future-ready quality.
He underscored that excellence today must go beyond products and processes to embrace regenerative systems that reduce waste and restore resources.

Mr. Eisenhower Swaminathan, President, Public Health Center
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His compelling message — that resilience is built on sustainability, agility thrives in circular practices, and leadership means redefining growth with responsibility — left the audience inspired to act with purpose and vision.

Mr. Ram Venkataramani, Managing Director of IP Rings
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Keynote SpeakerMr. Ram Venkataramani, Managing Director of IP Rings

Mr. Venkatramani’s reflections on navigating a VUCA world — marked by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity — deeply resonated with the audience.

He highlighted that true resilience is rooted in strong fundamentals, while agility emerges from a willingness to learn, adapt, and collaborate. His call for Indian industry to invest boldly in digital transformation, continuous upskilling, and innovation was both pragmatic and visionary.

Most powerfully, his perspective on turning disruption into opportunity by aligning quality leadership with transformation offered a clear and inspiring direction for the future.

Inaugural Address by Chief Guest Dr. V Sumantran, Former Chairman, Indigo Airlines

Dr. Sumantran’s reflections on India’s quality journey and the vital role of resilient, agile leadership deeply resonated with participants.

Dr. V Sumantran, Former Chairman, Indigo Airlines
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Recounting Tata Motors’ transformation—from early challenges in passenger car manufacturing to a remarkable turnaround driven by people, processes, and technology—he illustrated how steadfast commitment to quality fuels progress. He also highlighted Ashok Leyland’s collaborative ventures and Indigo’s relentless focus on reliability as proof that quality remains the backbone of sustainable success across industries.

His compelling message — that quality is the spine of manufacturing and services, anchoring competitiveness, customer trust, and national progress — inspired renewed confidence and urgency for India’s manufacturing sector to innovate, elevate, and lead the nation’s growth story.