The South Asia Region Meet, a chapter-focused annual event, took place on 1 September, a day before the Project Management South Asia Conference 2023 in Chennai. It brought together chapter leaders from the region, including India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, to foster collaboration and synergy.

The day-long event comprised insightful presentations, interactive sessions and workshops, with the objective of keeping the South Asia Chapter leaders abreast of various initiatives taken up in the region. Chapter leaders engaged in brainstorming activities that helped them craft strategies for the upcoming initiatives.

The meeting was helmed by Prasanna Sampathkumar, region mentor of PMI South Asia, who took the audience through the successes of the South Asia region. He also discussed various learnings and goals for the rest of the year.

A highlight of the event was a fireside chat moderated by Sampathkumar that featured Ike Nwankwo, a member of the PMI Global Board of Directors. The session focussed on Ike’s volunteering journey at PMI, his perspectives on how chapters can help with the implementation of the new PMI strategy and a deep dive into the restructuring of the strategic pillars. It provided chapter leaders with an opportunity to learn about PMI’s global strategy and offered a platform for them to ask important questions.

A workshop was also conducted for chapter leaders on a new key initiative in the region. The intent was to understand ways in which chapters can adapt to the changes and reconfigure their approaches.

Some of the other topics covered were the brittle, anxious, non-linear, and ncomprehensible (BANI) world and how artificial intelligence (AI) is impacting project management. In addition to this, there were significant presentations by chapter presidents and the leads of regional programs. These sessions not only provided valuable information to our chapter leaders but also opened channels for cross-chapter collaboration.

Another highlight of the day was a leadership training special for the chapter leaders. It was an energetic session with content specially curated for the audience.

The day ended with a felicitation session to recognize key milestones and award winners from South Asia.

Nisha Nanda Kumar
Chapter Administrator, PMI South Asia