Kaizen is built on a deceptively simple idea: improvement does not always have to come in giant leaps. Sometimes, it is the result of making small, consistent changes. These changes can be to a process, a product, a system, or even a way of thinking and can compound over time.
In today’s business environment, which is undergoing rapid technological shifts, intensifying competition and constant pressure to adapt, that philosophy has acquired renewed relevance.
For professionals, Kaizen goes beyond operational efficiency. It possibly represents a mindset of questioning what can be done better, building systems that support continuous learning and creating organisations that can improve without losing sight of the long term.
Japan, in particular, has spent decades embedding this thinking in its businesses, making continuous improvement, precision, quality, and discipline central to how organisations are built and operated.
It was this distinctive approach to business and the questions it raises for companies navigating their own transformation that formed the foundation of ET Immersions Japan 2026.
From August 29 to September 2, eleven Indian business leaders travelled to Tokyo for a five-day immersion designed to take learning beyond conventional boardroom conversations.
Through business visits, leadership dialogues, peer interactions, and cultural experiences, the programme offered participants an opportunity to observe Japanese approaches to operational excellence, innovation, technology, and long-term value creation in their own environments.
Conceptualised by The Economic Times Business Verticals, ET Immersions is built around the idea that some of the most valuable business lessons emerge when leaders step outside familiar markets and operating environments.
Experiencing how businesses in another economy think, build, innovate and solve problems can offer perspectives that conventional discussions often cannot.
For the inaugural Japan edition, Kaizen became the thread connecting these experiences. Alongside continuous improvement, the programme explored themes such as operational excellence, purpose-driven leadership, automation & innovation, and future-ready business systems that increasingly sit at the centre of business strategy across sectors.
The 11-member delegation represented diverse industries, including healthcare, construction, infrastructure, manufacturing, finance, communications, real estate and sustainability.
Despite the diversity of their sectors, the programme brought them together around a common question: what can businesses learn from a system in which improvement is treated not as a one-time initiative but as an ongoing discipline?
The answer, perhaps, lies in Kaizen itself. Its value is not confined to the factory floor or to process optimisation. It offers a broader way of thinking about leadership, resilience and growth, one where progress is built through attention to detail, willingness to learn and the discipline to keep improving.
That was the larger purpose behind taking ET Immersions to Japan. To not simply see how Japanese businesses operate, but to understand the thinking behind them and consider what those lessons could mean for Indian businesses preparing for their next phase of growth.
Leaders from across the spectrum
The Japan edition was diverse in its delegation. Rather than bringing together leaders from a single industry, the programme included professionals from sectors with very different operating environments.
From real estate, Anoop Bartaria, CMD, World Trade Park Jaipur, brought experience in destination development, urban commerce and customer experience.
Vikas Gupta, Managing Director, Nivik Constructions, represented the construction sector, with the company having grown over 14 years from an initial ₹18.01 lakh project to annual work orders of around ₹400 crore.
The infrastructure and engineering segment included Aadi Anand Jain, Project Engineer at VKJ Projects Pvt. Ltd. and co-founder of DroneView Solutions LLP. As the youngest member of the cohort, his participation brought the perspective of an emerging generation working across infrastructure and technology.
Pranav Bharadwaj, Managing Director, DSS Electric Corporation LLP, added an enterprise perspective from the electrical and consumer electronics sectors, contributing to discussions on technology, innovation, and business solutions.
From the healthcare sector, the cohort had Dr Devendra Kumar Purohit, Professor and Head of Department, JNU Superspeciality Hospital, Jaipur, and a member of the Neurological Surgeons Society of India, who participated alongside Pinky Topiwala, Director, Orange Physiocare Pvt Ltd.
Their backgrounds in neurosurgery and physiotherapy offered complementary perspectives on healthcare delivery, rehabilitation and patient care.
Japan’s ageing population also provided a relevant context for considering how healthcare systems respond to demographic changes and how technology, efficiency and service design can influence healthcare delivery.
From the world of finance, Akshay Baweja, AVP Finance at Finaks Advisory Services Private Limited, added an advisory lens to conversations around investment, risk, and long-term business planning.
The communications and creative sectors were represented by Sulabh Singh, Founder & CEO of Sociyo Communications Pvt. Ltd., and Ketan Nischal, Founder & CEO of InOut Creatives. Their participation broadened discussions around storytelling, branding, customer experience and the role of communication in building enduring businesses.
Meanwhile, Ashwini Kumar Mishra, CEO of Homecomposta Green Pvt Ltd, brought the perspective of organic waste management and environmental solutions to the cohort.
Rounding out the delegation was Shashichandra Desai, Founder, Dharma Foundation Mauritius, whose participation added an international and philanthropic dimension to the group.
The value of diverse perspectives
The diversity of the cohort allowed Japanese business practices to be viewed through multiple professional lenses.
For construction and infrastructure leaders, themes around quality, precision and operational efficiency were considered in the context of project execution.
Healthcare professionals were able to examine efficiency and innovation through patient care and rehabilitation, while finance professionals could consider long-term planning and risk.
For communications and creative professionals, customer experience and brand-building offered another lens for understanding Japanese businesses. Sustainability professionals, meanwhile, could connect the country’s emphasis on resource management and disciplined systems with environmental practices.
This cross-sector exchange and focus on various business themes was central to the ET Immersions experience. By placing professionals from different industries in the same learning environment, the programme created opportunities for ideas and practices from one sector to inform conversations in another.
Taking the learning back home
The Japan edition was designed not simply as exposure to another market, but as an opportunity for participants to observe, engage and reflect on business practices within a different economic and cultural context.
The combination of business discovery, leadership conversations, peer interaction, and cultural exploration enabled delegates to examine questions relevant across markets.
For these 11 participants, the experience therefore extended beyond the five days spent in Japan. Its relevance will ultimately be reflected in the conversations, ideas and practices that participants take back to their respective organisations.
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