Conference Agenda

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The Intersection of Tech and Business

Thriving in the Fast-Paced Retail Revolution

Welcome to the 14th Annual IREC X D2C 2025 Summit, where the future of retail is unfolding at lightning speed! In a world propelled by The Quickening—a term coined by McKinsey to describe the explosive rise of e-commerce fueled by the demand for convenience, speed, and customer delight—India is poised to lead with its rapid and robust distribution infrastructure.

LEADERSHIP SUMMIT

10:30 - 10:45 AM Welcome Note

Ritu Marya

Editor-in-Chief, Entrepreneur & Indian Retailer

10:45 - 11:10 AMKeynote: Vision 2030: The Great Bharat Retail Makeover

Unpacking the bold strategies and innovations set to transform Bharat’s great retail landscape

11:10 - 11:45 AMPanel: How Quick Commerce Changed the Game for Smart Retailers

The Rise of Quick Commerce
Adapting to Consumer Expectations
Tech-Driven Transformation
Agility and Flexibility in Retail Models

11:45 AM - 12:15 PMHow Masstige Brands Took over the Indian Market

Feeding the dupe culture, Gen Z and younger Millennial shoppers shaping New Retail
How consumer brands that have nailed the art of mixing affordability with aspiration
Keeping prices appealing and delivering other forms of value to consumer

12:15 - 12:45 PMBlending Economy and Aspiration: Tapping the Next Billion Shoppers of Bharat

Regional diversity: Adapting retail strategies to hyperlocal preferences and spending patterns
The future of Bharat’s shopping habits: Digital-first or omnichannel dominance?
What will define the next 100 million transactions – and how can brands stay ahead?

12:45 - 01:00 PM Keynote: Food and Profit: The Dynamics of the 10-Minute Food Delivery System

1:00 - 2:00 PMNETWORKING LUNCH

IRec INNOVATION SUMMIT

2:00- 2:45 PMGame-Changing Partnerships: Unlocking Value Through Cross-Industry Alliances

Revealing how unconventional collaborations are shaping the future of retail.

2:45 - 3:30 PMThink Global, Act Local and Personal How International Brands Are Targeting Consumers in Bharat

Understanding and Reflecting the Cultural Nuances of an Increasingly Diverse Consumer

3:30 - 4:15 PMBig Data, Bigger Impact: Creating Outstanding Online and In-Store Experiences

4:15 - 5:00 PMIs AI Magical?
Automating and Optimizing the Customer Journey

Is Hyper- personalization the Ultimate Retail Power Move?
Taking Customer Engagement To The Next Level With AI Powered Chat Bots
How AI-driven insights are reshaping inventory, sales, and customer connections.

D2C INNOVATION SUMMIT

2:00 - 2:30 PMMeet the Maverick Mind

Defining the Brand Narrative
In a fireside chat with D2C Leader, explore the art of storytelling and uncover the secrets to building a brand that resonates and inspires

2:30 - 3:10 PMNiche is the New Way to Win: How D2C brands are Scoring Big by Thinking Small

Navigating The Next Phase Of The D2C Revolution with hyper-targeted products to super-personalized experiences and products
Breaking down Gen Alpha & Gen Z: The the art of serving overlooked audiences in a larger community
Building for Bharat: Small regions, bigger return Understand Heartland India shopping habits and connect with their values, and digital ask

3:10 - 4:00 PM INDUSTRY OUTLOOK
Beauty and the Brains: What E-Commerce Innovators Can Teach Us About Knowing Your Customer

4:00 - 4:45 PMINDUSTRY OUTLOOK
From Clicks to Closets: The Rise of D2C Fashion Powerhouses

How direct-to-consumer brands are redefining fashion, one personalized piece at a time.
Lessons Learned From Diversifying Into New Product Categories
Revamping Returns to Revenue first model

ROUND TABLES

10:00- 11:00 AM

Loyalty How!

How to cultivate Brand Loyalty and repeat custom and competitive advantage in a saturated e-commerce and D2C market!
Utilizing Data to present compelling cases to the customer base
Cultivate and maintain relationships with your esteemed customers.

Creating a Seamless and Engaging User Experience

Best Practices in User Engagement and Experience in the Customer Journey
How AI is going to be a massive game-changer for e-commerce retailers
How personalization and Vernacularization are game-changers for e-commerce

How to Go Omni Effectively

Why Every e-commerce business needs an omnichannel strategy today
Integrating the sales vs marketing teams' efforts toward common goals
Breaking Data Silos: Prioritizing open data flow across functional areas
No omnichannel model reaches a perfect equilibrium, and organizations must continuously evolve and iterate their engagement in response to competing dynamics.

Clicks and Bricks: The Phygital Franchise Makeover

The Dynamics of Digital and Store
Building strategy for partner profitability and Business Satisfaction
Market Penetration done right

Trends in D2C Funding 2025

IRec OMNICHANNEL SUMMIT

11:30 AM - 12:15 PM The Integration Playbook: A C-Suite Outlook’on Purposeful Leadership

Why Seamless Omnichannel Experiences Are Retail’s Future
Achieving Cross-Functional Collaboration and Organizational Growth
How to build brand loyalty by harmonizing customer journeys across platforms.

12:15 - 12:30 PM Keynote : Staying Ahead of the Game
Inspiration and Discovery in Digital Shopping

Scaling with boldest product launches and strategic market shake-ups
Pivots that call for Bold Changes with Agility and Flexibility

12:30 - 1:00 PM HERITAGE MEETS INNOVATION
How Brands Aced it: From Zero Digital Presence to Unleashing seamless Omni-Channel Customer Experiences

Changing business models, embracing new technologies, and reinventing brand identity for the Digital Era
Bringing your brand to life digitally: the importance of adaptability in today’s competitive market and the leadership skills needed to steer a brand through periods of transformation

1:00 - 2:00 PMNETWORKING LUNCH

2:00 - 2:45 PMBuilding Flexible and Efficient Supply Chains

Strategies for transforming returns management into a competitive advantage
Leveraging technology to enhance operational efficiency and drive profitability in logistics.
Strategies for transforming returns management into a competitive advantage
Challenges, opportunities, and solutions for Q commerce

2:45 -3:00 PM Keynote : Shaping the Ideal Digital Customer Experience: New Trails with Talent, Creators, and Influencers

3:00 - 3:45 PM Shoppertainment Explosion: Turning Retail into the Ultimate Family Experience

Why entertainment and engagement are the keys to modern consumer loyalty

3:45 - 4:30 PM Tech Talk: Unifying and Gamifying the Shopping Journey

Explore how gamification elements like rewards, AR games, and challenges can enhance consumer experiences

4:30 - 5:00 PM Fireside Chat: How Ecommerce Will Shape Bharat

The logistical, cultural, and infrastructural shape of Q-commerce across diverse geographies.

D2C OMNICHANNEL SUMMIT

11:30 – 11:50 AMKeynote: D2C 2025: Reinventing the Playbook for the Next Retail Frontier

Why the old D2C models may no longer work—and How Brands need to look at the Bigger Picture

11:50 AM - 12:20 PM Growth Through Partnerships: Leveraging the Right Collabs and Brand Licensing For Your Brand

Transforming Culture for Success in the Modern Marketplace
Key Success Factors For Winning Brand Collaborations and Partnerships

12:20 PM - 1:00 PMFounders’ Forum: Mavericks Who Aced the D2C Playbook

The inspiration behind launching a D2C brand – spotting gaps, consumer pain points, or industry inefficiencies.
The shift from pure-play D2C to an omnichannel strategy – what worked, what didn’t?
The strategies that worked: performance marketing, influencer collaborations, word-of-mouth, or something unconventional?
What the next generation of D2C founders should focus on.

1:00 - 2:00 PMNETWORKING LUNCH

2:00 - 2:45 PMCreating and Communicating Value to Customers Mastering The Marketing Mix

How Content and shopping are merging in exciting ways
What’s the ideal engagement combo? Is the Gram holy grail of Search Engine for Brands: How are Brands Taking Advantage?
Personalizing Discounts and Promotions to Drive Sales and Loyalty

2:45 - 3:00 PM Keynote: Trendspotting Generational Appeal
Consumer Insights on Gen Alpha and Gen X

3:00 - 3:30 PMSustainability Meets Profitability: How D2C Brands Are Building Profit-Driven Logistics Models

Optimizing policies and logistics to minimize costs while enhancing efficiency
Redesigning return processes to reduce the burn for Brands
Crafting a green narrative without compromising on growth and scale

3:30 - 4:00 PMINDUSTRY OUTLOOK
Paws & Pet Stories: How Gen Z and Millennials are driving the boom for their furry companions

4:00 - 5:00 PMInvestors’ Forum

Crafting the Perfect Pitch: Key elements investors look for
Trends in D2C Investments: What's hot, what's not
Navigating Investor Expectations: Understanding Different Investor Profiles
Staying Ahead of the Curve: Anticipating future trends and opportunities

Conference Schedule

Conference Agenda

RETAIL FAST FORWARD >>>>

The Intersection of Tech and Business

Thriving in the Fast-Paced Retail Revolution

10:30 - 10:45 AM Welcome Note

10:45 - 11:10 AMKeynote: Vision 2030: The Great Bharat Retail Makeover

11:10 - 11:45 AMPanel: How Quick Commerce Changed the Game for Smart Retailers

11:45 AM - 12:15 PMHow Masstige Brands Took over the Indian Market

12:15 - 12:45 PMBlending Economy and Aspiration: Tapping the Next Billion Shoppers of Bharat

12:45 - 01:00 PM Keynote: Food and Profit: The Dynamics of the 10-Minute Food Delivery System

1:00 - 2:00 PMNETWORKING LUNCH

2:00- 2:45 PMGame-Changing Partnerships: Unlocking Value Through Cross-Industry Alliances

2:45 - 3:30 PMThink Global, Act Local and Personal How International Brands Are Targeting Consumers in Bharat

3:30 - 4:15 PMBig Data, Bigger Impact: Creating Outstanding Online and In-Store Experiences

4:15 - 5:00 PMIs AI Magical? Automating and Optimizing the Customer Journey

2:00 - 2:30 PMMeet the Maverick Mind

2:30 - 3:10 PMNiche is the New Way to Win: How D2C brands are Scoring Big by Thinking Small

3:10 - 4:00 PM INDUSTRY OUTLOOK Beauty and the Brains: What E-Commerce Innovators Can Teach Us About Knowing Your Customer

4:00 - 4:45 PMINDUSTRY OUTLOOKFrom Clicks to Closets: The Rise of D2C Fashion Powerhouses

10:00- 11:00 AM

Loyalty How!

Creating a Seamless and Engaging User Experience

How to Go Omni Effectively

Clicks and Bricks: The Phygital Franchise Makeover

Trends in D2C Funding 2025

11:30 AM - 12:15 PM The Integration Playbook: A C-Suite Outlook’on Purposeful Leadership

12:15 - 12:30 PM Keynote : Staying Ahead of the GameInspiration and Discovery in Digital Shopping

12:30 - 1:00 PM HERITAGE MEETS INNOVATION How Brands Aced it: From Zero Digital Presence to Unleashing seamless Omni-Channel Customer Experiences

1:00 - 2:00 PMNETWORKING LUNCH

2:00 - 2:45 PMBuilding Flexible and Efficient Supply Chains

2:45 -3:00 PM Keynote : Shaping the Ideal Digital Customer Experience: New Trails with Talent, Creators, and Influencers

3:00 - 3:45 PM Shoppertainment Explosion: Turning Retail into the Ultimate Family Experience

3:45 - 4:30 PM Tech Talk: Unifying and Gamifying the Shopping Journey

4:30 - 5:00 PM Fireside Chat: How Ecommerce Will Shape Bharat

11:30 – 11:50 AMKeynote: D2C 2025: Reinventing the Playbook for the Next Retail Frontier

11:50 AM - 12:20 PM Growth Through Partnerships: Leveraging the Right Collabs and Brand Licensing For Your Brand

12:20 PM - 1:00 PMFounders’ Forum: Mavericks Who Aced the D2C Playbook

1:00 - 2:00 PMNETWORKING LUNCH

2:00 - 2:45 PMCreating and Communicating Value to Customers Mastering The Marketing Mix

2:45 - 3:00 PM Keynote: Trendspotting Generational Appeal Consumer Insights on Gen Alpha and Gen X

3:00 - 3:30 PMSustainability Meets Profitability: How D2C Brands Are Building Profit-Driven Logistics Models

3:30 - 4:00 PMINDUSTRY OUTLOOK Paws & Pet Stories: How Gen Z and Millennials are driving the boom for their furry companions

4:00 - 5:00 PMInvestors’ Forum

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4:15 - 5:00 PMIs AI Magical?
Automating and Optimizing the Customer Journey

3:10 - 4:00 PM INDUSTRY OUTLOOK
Beauty and the Brains: What E-Commerce Innovators Can Teach Us About Knowing Your Customer

4:00 - 4:45 PMINDUSTRY OUTLOOK
From Clicks to Closets: The Rise of D2C Fashion Powerhouses

12:15 - 12:30 PM Keynote : Staying Ahead of the Game
Inspiration and Discovery in Digital Shopping

12:30 - 1:00 PM HERITAGE MEETS INNOVATION
How Brands Aced it: From Zero Digital Presence to Unleashing seamless Omni-Channel Customer Experiences

2:45 - 3:00 PM Keynote: Trendspotting Generational Appeal
Consumer Insights on Gen Alpha and Gen X

3:30 - 4:00 PMINDUSTRY OUTLOOK
Paws & Pet Stories: How Gen Z and Millennials are driving the boom for their furry companions