Concordia-India AI Initiative: November Session

Structured as a recurring, consultative forum, the initiative brings together Concordia researchers, and governmental, private, and funding partners in Quebec, Canada, and India to:

• share ongoing AI-related research and areas of expertise
• surface priority needs, challenges, and opportunities from Indian private, research, governmental and civil society partners
• identify and advance pathways for collaborative projects, training, and knowledge exchange

Positioned at the intersection of research, application, and partnership development, the Concordia-India AI Initiative is focused on enabling applied, impact-oriented AI collaborations and support the development of jointly defined initiatives.

The Concordia–India AI Initiative strengthens international engagement in a priority geographic area while supporting the translation of AI expertise into concrete collaborative opportunities.

Special Opening Remarks

Mathieu Parenteau is Director, Indo-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Ministry of International Relations and La Francophonie. M. Parenteau will deliver brief remarks as part of the Concordia–India AI Initiative. 

Speakers:

Suchit Ahuja is Associate Professor of Business Technology Management at the John Molson School of Business, Concordia University, Montreal. In January 2026, he was appointed Co-Director of Concordia's Applied AI Institute. He previously served as founding Director of the MSc Program in Business Analytics and Technology Management and, during 2024–2025, as Academic Lead of the Quebec Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub at Concordia. In 2026, he was shortlisted among the Global Top 100 Voices to Follow in Higher Education by Vevox.

Dr. Navneet Vidyarthi is Professor of Logistics and Supply Chain Analytics at Concordia University’s John Molson School of Business. His research focuses on advanced analytics, optimization, and AI-driven decision-support systems for supply chains, logistics, and transportation. Over a 20-year career, he has collaborated with organizations across the aerospace, automotive, manufacturing, and technology sectors, translating research into practical solutions for complex operational challenges. He has secured more than $1 million in research funding, published extensively in leading academic journals, and co-authored a textbook on operations management. His honours include Concordia’s President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and two JMSB Dean’s Awards for Distinguished Scholarship. 

Peter Paul Pratter is a Berlin-based independent advisor specialising in corporate real estate strategy and Indo-European market entry. He serves as Strategic Advisor to Concordia University's Applied AI Institute, contributing to the Concordia-India AI Initiative, and is an Advisor to Zinnov, a Bengaluru- and New York-headquartered consultancy focused on technology strategy and Global Capability Centers.

Peter is the founder of India Rising, an intelligence platform covering the Indo-European business corridor. He was named an Indo-German Young Leader in 2025 and brings over 15 years of global experience across 30+ countries, including senior in-house roles at Daimler and Wayfair.

About India Rising

India Rising is an intelligence platform and growing community of business leaders, investors, diplomats, and decision-makers across the Indo-European corridor and beyond. Published weekly, it brings together original analysis, institutional research, and practitioner perspectives on GCC expansion, trade and FDI, technology, and market entry. Guest contributors — from M&A advisors and GCC specialists to diplomats and investors — shape what India Rising covers. The platform is backed by 10+ institutional partners and 20+ expert contributors, including Concordia University’s Applied AI Institute, Zinnov, Guidance Tamil Nadu, and several corridor organisations.

Rana Dutta is a technology entrepreneur, founder, and CEO with nearly three decades of experience building and scaling technology companies. He is the Founder and CEO of Morning Bay Technology, the company behind Quantum Tiger, an AI technology company focused on sovereign AI infrastructure and operational intelligence. Quantum Tiger combines edge and on-premise computing with Corvus, its flagship platform, to transform fragmented organizational data into actionable intelligence. The company develops solutions for businesses, educational institutions, regulated industries, and critical infrastructure. Rana previously founded Tiyo, a health technology company active across 16 markets, and Movinture, an enterprise technology company specializing in information lifecycle management, archival, and compliance. His work focuses on moving AI beyond experimentation to become dependable and accessible operational infrastructure.

The International Management Institute (IMI) New Delhi is a leading private business school established in 1981. It offers postgraduate and executive management programs and maintains a strong focus on industry engagement, applied research, and international collaboration.

Natalia Espinel-Quintero, MA is an Advisor, Business Development at Mitacs, where she works closely with researchers, industry partners, and innovation ecosystem organizations to develop collaborative research and talent development opportunities. With graduate training in Media Studies from Concordia University and in Latin American Cultural Studies from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Natalia brings an interdisciplinary perspective to building partnerships that connect academia, industry, and the public sector.