The USA-India Business Summit and Georgia Tech Global Business Forum recently hosted a dynamic seminar titled “Sustainability, AI & Digitalization: Global Drivers of Growth.” The event brought together thought leaders, industry professionals, and policymakers to discuss the transformative impact of technology on global business. Held at Georgia Tech on February 12th, with a virtual session on February 13th, the summit focused on crucial topics such as the future of sustainability and ESG, workforce challenges in the AI era, data-driven enterprise growth, and cybersecurity best practices. It also highlighted India’s expertise in technology and the integration of AI and IoT in manufacturing, emphasizing how innovation and digital transformation contribute to sustainable economic growth.
Through engaging discussions and strategic partnerships, the forum aimed to navigate the opportunities and challenges at the intersection of technology, sustainability, and international commerce.
“This summit highlighted how businesses can integrate sustainability, AI, and digitalization to enhance efficiency, innovation, and growth,” said Ani Agnihotri, Co-Chair of the event from the USA-India Business Summit (UIBS). “By bringing together thought leaders and professionals, we aim to foster meaningful conversations and actionable strategies for the future.”
The event featured distinguished speakers, including Hon. L. Ramesh Babu, Consul General of India; Dev Ahuja, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Novelis Inc.; Vish M. Narendra, Senior Vice President and CIO of Graphic Packaging International; Bala Subramanian, EVP & Chief Digital and Technology Officer of UPS; Paul Frederickson, Senior Vice President of Georgia-Pacific Operations Technology Solution Group; Hon. Lisa Cupid, Chairwoman of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners; Hon. Urs Brönnimann, Consul General of Switzerland; Anant R. Adya, Executive Vice President and Head of Cloud, Infrastructure, and Security Services (CIS) for the Americas and APAC at Infosys; Ravi Venkatesan, CEO & Board Director of Cantaloupe Inc.; Stan Sthanunathan, CEO of i-Genie.ai; and Lakshamanan Chidambaram, President and Head of the Americas Leadership Council at Tech Mahindra.
“The key challenge is one of continuous growth in the midst of constant change. This conference addressed these paradoxical dimensions and pointed to strategic avenues,” said Dr. John R. McIntyre, Co-Chair of the event from the Scheller College of Business at Georgia Tech.
Hon. Consul General of India in Atlanta, Ramesh Babu Lakshmanan, emphasized the robust trade relationship between the United States and India, noting that the total trade value of goods and services currently stands at $200 billion and is projected to reach $500 billion by 2030. He identified digital transformation, AI, quantum computing, clean energy, and defense technology as key drivers of future growth.
Quoting Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s remarks at the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit in Paris on February 11, 2025, Lakshmanan Chidambaram, President of Tech Mahindra and Head of Mahindra Group Americas, stated, “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.”
In his keynote address, Dev Ahuja, EVP and CFO of Novelis Inc., a global leader in aluminum production and recycling, underscored the company’s commitment to sustainability. “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,” Ahuja said.
Novelis prioritizes sustainability through high-recycled-content products and circular economy initiatives. Aluminum’s ability to be recycled indefinitely without quality loss results in energy savings of up to 95% compared to primary production. The company operates 32 facilities across four continents, employing over 13,000 people. Novelis has set ambitious sustainability targets, including achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and reducing CO2 emissions by 30% by 2026 compared to 2016 levels. The company collaborates with major automotive, beverage, and aerospace brands, using closed-loop recycling systems to minimize waste. Investments in renewable energy, such as solar power and alternative fuels, further support its sustainability goals. The company is expanding its recycling infrastructure with new plants in Kentucky, Korea, and a $4.1 billion facility in Alabama, aligning with its “3 by 30” vision to promote aluminum’s role in a circular economy and advance global sustainability efforts.
Bala Subramanian, EVP & Chief Digital and Technology Officer at UPS, highlighted the company’s scale and influence. “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 time, we are the seventh-largest airline. At any given time, we have at least 50 to 100 flights that are still in the air. So the scale of us is very, very large,” he said.
Subramanian also discussed UPS’s India Technology Center in Chennai, which employs about 1,000 people and continues to grow. He noted that the company’s approach is not about cost-cutting in India but about accessing global talent. UPS also has development centers in Europe and the U.S., enabling successful logistics operations worldwide.
He emphasized UPS’s focus on technology, AI, and global logistics, highlighting the importance of adaptability and continuous improvement. AI is instrumental in optimizing delivery routes, automating processes, and enhancing operational efficiency. UPS is also investing in logistics for healthcare, including vaccine transportation and time-sensitive medical deliveries. The company is exploring emerging technologies such as drone deliveries and VR training while maintaining strong customer-centric strategies. Collaboration with academic institutions is a key component of UPS’s innovation strategy.
Roshan Shah, Vice President of AI & Products at Georgia-Pacific LLC, highlighted the company’s integration of AI and automation since 2018 to enhance manufacturing. He underscored Georgia-Pacific’s strong partnership with Georgia Tech in recruitment and innovation. The company operates 140 connected facilities and has expanded AI-driven processes to Guardian Glass. AI is used to mitigate workforce experience loss, improve decision-making, and enhance efficiency. Georgia-Pacific employs 800 autonomous vehicles and proprietary Digital Mezzanine technology for predictive maintenance and process control. The AI-driven initiative has grown from four to 150 employees, reinforcing the company’s industry leadership.
The seminar offered an in-depth exploration of evolving U.S.-India trade and business relations, with a strong focus on collaboration in technology, digitalization, and sustainability. Experts examined global workforce challenges and AI’s role in addressing skill gaps and boosting productivity. Discussions on AI for purpose, augmented intelligence, and enterprise AI solutions highlighted the transformative potential of data-driven organizations and digitalization in shaping business strategies. AI’s impact on marketing, manufacturing, and self-service commerce demonstrated its role in enhancing operational efficiency and customer engagement.
Business immigration updates provided insights into talent mobility, while comparisons of AI governance systems in the U.S., EU, and China shed light on regulatory advancements. The sustainability leadership demonstrated by Novelis illustrated corporate commitments to responsible growth. A discussion on large language models (LLMs) versus specialized domain models (SDMs) for competitive advantage underscored the need for balancing innovation in generative AI with sustainability.
Overall, the discussions reinforced that AI, digitalization, and strategic technology transformation are critical drivers of economic growth and global competitiveness. The forum served as a platform for thought leaders to explore new opportunities and challenges in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.