IIM Jammu officers and personnel were present along with Prof. Jabir Ali, Dean of Faculty and Research at IIM Jammu; Dr. Anuja Akhouri, Chairperson of the IIM Jammu Library Committee; IIM Jammu Librarian Shri Shailesh K. Lohiya and Cmdr. Kesavan Baskkaran, CAO of IIM Jammu.

The IIM Libraries Consortium was launched in 2000 with six IIMs and now encompasses 21 premier schools. Its purpose is to share resources, enhance access to quality information, reduce expenses allow inter-library loaning and share best practices among the IIM network. The Consortium having been formed around a common mission of encouraging cooperation, remains focused on interlibrary loans, cooperative acquisition, processing and dissemination of resources.

42 service providers will take part in it this year, providing 151 information items, including popular names. The festival was attended by all the 21 IIMs, viz., Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bangalore, Bodh Gaya, Calcutta, Indore, Jammu, Kashipur, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Nagpur, Raipur, Ranchi, Rohtak, Sambalpur, Shillong, Sirmaur, Tiruchirappalli, Udaipur and Visakhapatnam. 

The Director of IIM Jammu, Prof. B.S. Sahay addressing the delegates of 26th IIM Libraries Consortium stressed the importance of the Consortium as a collaborative platform for enabling teaching, research and knowledge dissemination in the IIM ecosystem. He noted that India, being the world's third-largest ecnomy at present is facing enormous transformation in education, technology and infrastructure owing to the vision of Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji to achieve a developed India by 2047.

He requested librarians to go beyond subscription deals and rather work on creating distinct contributions like Indian case studies, indigenous journals and knowledge materials that support India's global success stories. He suggested all IIM libraries investigate the possibility of establishing a Central IIM Case Centre. He called librarians the torchbearers of innovation and urged them to envision libraries as community-driven organisations that advance knowledge equity and nation-building.

Prof. Jabir Ali, Dean Faculty and Research, IIM Jammu, highlighted that libraries are the cornerstone of educational institutions as important centers of knowledge, coalescence and innovation. He mentioned that the three-day discussions would revolve around maximising resources, negotiating cost-effective scenarios, and ensuring equitable access to information among all IIMs. He added that these relationships are essential to enhance teaching, develop faculty research and nurture an academic excellence culture. The chairperson of the library committee of IIM Jammu, Dr. Anuja Akhouri referred to the library as a knowledge temple or gyān mandir.

She highlighted that the Nalanda Library is a learning beacon, merging large holdings with digital access, research assistance and safeguarding of India's intellectual heritage. As befits the Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji's emphasis on education, research and innovation she reaffirmed that every book and journal advances the goal of Viksit Bharat. Dr. Appasaheb Naikal, IIM Kozhikode Librarian provided a fascinating overview of the history of the IIM Libraries Consortium, from six to 21 IIMs and highlighted the Consortium's significant contributions such as resource sharing, building capacity for newer IIMs, creating a collective IIM Libraries catalogue and research policy initiatives strengthening the IIM brand both regionally and internationally. Shri Shailesh K Lohiya, Librarian, IIM Jammu greeted the delegates and explained the role of the IIM Libraries Consortium as a collaborative network for dismantling silos enabling teaching and research and enhancing the combined vision of all IIMs. Following the national anthem group photo and networking the first session ended with a vote of gratitude from Shri Shailesh K. Lohiya, Librarian of IIM Jammu.

The 26th IIM Libraries Consortium will mark the beginning of a new era of collaborative innovation, highlighting the significance of knowledge exchange and sustainability in developing the future of academic success. It offers a platform for positive debate, capacity development and collective action that promotes IIM Libraries' position as vibrant knowledge centers propelling research, teaching and innovation in management education nationally.

The Library Team and the Office of Executive Education and Consultancy at IIM Jammu are co-hosting the 26th IIM Libraries Consortium which promises to become a force for change throughout the entire IIM system within the next few years.