A high-level dialogue on building a future-ready education ecosystem through stronger industry-academia collaboration
Kolkata, July 3, 2026: The Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) organised the Education for Viksit Bharat Summit – East India Edition in Kolkata today, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, academicians and educationists to deliberate on the role of education in driving innovation, employment, entrepreneurship and the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. The summit was graced by Dr. Sukanta Majumdar, Hon'ble Union Minister of State for Education, Government of India, as the Guest of Honour, and Dr. Swapan Dasgupta, Hon'ble Minister-in-Charge, Department of Finance, Government of West Bengal, as the Chief Guest, along with Mr. Brij Bhushan Agarwal, President, ICC and Chairman & Managing Director, Shyam Metalics & Energy Limited; Mr. Satyam Roychowdhury, Chairman, ICC National Expert Committee on Higher Education & Training and Chancellor, Sister Nivedita University; Sardar Simarpreet Singh, Director, JIS Group and ICC Co-Chairman, Expert Committee on Higher Education & Training; Mr. Parthiv Neotia, Senior Vice President, ICC & Managing Director, Ambuja Neotia Group; Prof. Anupam Basu, Vice Chancellor, Sister Nivedita University; Dr. Debanjan Chakrabarti, Director, British Council, East and Northeast India; Prof. Chiranjib Bhattacharjee, Vice-Chancellor, Jadavpur University; Prof. Rahul Banerjee, Deputy Director & Dean, Faculty Affairs and Officiating Director, IISER Kolkata; Prof. (Dr.) Satyajit Chakrabarti, Vice Chancellor, UEM & Director, IEM; Mr. Suprakash Das, Chief Financial and Operating Officer, TCG CREST; Mr. Subir Verma, Executive Director & CHRO – Power Business, RP Sanjiv Goenka Group; and Dr. Rajeev Singh, Director General, ICC.
Mr. Satyam Roychowdhury, Chairman, ICC National Expert Committee on Higher Education & Training and Chancellor, Sister Nivedita University, in his welcome address said, "As India accelerates its march towards the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, our greatest competitive advantage will not be determined solely by the scale of our infrastructure or the sophistication of our technology, but by the quality of our human capital, its knowledge, adaptability, creativity and aspirations. To unlock this immense potential, India's education ecosystem is undergoing a profound transformation, with a focus on holistic and multidisciplinary learning, seamless digital integration, experiential education and industry-aligned skill development. Deeper collaboration between academia and industry will be essential to nurturing a workforce that is skilled, future-ready, productive and driven by innovation."
Mr. Brij Bhushan Agarwal, President, ICC and Chairman & Managing Director, Shyam Metalics & Energy Limited, in his special address said, "India's journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047 can only be built on the foundation of quality education and training. While the National Education Policy 2020 provides a strong roadmap, we must encourage more research, innovation and collaboration between industry and academia. By investing in education, skills, innovation and digital training, we can unlock the full potential of Eastern India and empower our Amrit Peedhi to lead the nation towards a developed future."
Speaking on this occasion, Dr. Swapan Dasgupta, Hon'ble Minister-in-Charge, Department of Finance, Government of West Bengal, said, "West Bengal has tremendous potential, but the challenge before us is how to move away from potential into reality. Education in West Bengal is a devastated area, and it is not a question of improvement but of fundamental rebuilding. The government can create an enabling environment, but the actual work will have to be done by the private sector. We have to create opportunities and centres of excellence so that young people choose to stay, work and study here, while attracting talent from elsewhere. We are back in business. Bengal is back with a bang."
On this occasion, Dr. Sukanta Majumdar, Hon'ble Union Minister of State for Education, Government of India, said, "The Hon'ble Prime Minister has said that 'Purvi Bharat ke vikas ke bina Bharat ka samagra vikas sambhav nahi hai.' Today, Bengal is ready. Our Budget has been presented, and the launching pad is ready. Now all that remains is ignition, and that ignition can only come with your support. Keeping in mind the Hon'ble Prime Minister's mantra of 'Skill, Scale and Speed,' if we move forward guided by these three principles, I believe Bengal too stands at the threshold of a new era. Our objective should be to restore Bengal to the position it once held, when it contributed 10.5 percent to India's GDP."
Sardar Simarpreet Singh, Director, JIS Group and ICC Co-Chairman, Expert Committee, on Higher Education & Training, said, "A lot of things are already happening in the state, and we are not used to the type of pace of change that's happening. Most of the things are already being done by the government.
Delivering the vote of thanks, Mr. Parthiv Neotia, Senior Vice President, ICC & Managing Director, Ambuja Neotia Group, said, "We, as ICC, are committed to work hand in hand with the government, in all its policies, in coordination with industry, in helping it grow the state to its lost glory. I hope we are able to create those opportunities to bring people from Bengal back to the city and create more meaningful employment for the youth, ultimately taking this state to probably be the number one state in the country."
Speaking during the session, "Education for Innovation, Employment & Entrepreneurship – A Roadmap," Prof. Chiranjib Bhattacharjee, PhD, Vice-Chancellor, Jadavpur University, said, "If we want to contribute to Viksit Bharat, then definitely we have to think about how to modernize or restructure the education system so that we can provide the talent. Bengal is never lacking in talent, but we have to use that talent for the development of Bengal as well as India. We must revisit our school education curriculum so that the quest for knowledge, innovation skills and imagination are inculcated among students, enabling them to contribute to nation building."