Jamshedpur: The National Institute of Technology (NIT) Jamshedpur today marked a defining moment in its academic and innovation journey with the grand inauguration of the 3rd Industry–Academia Conclave (IAC 2025).
Padma Shri Ashok Bhagat formally opened the event in the presence of Director Prof. Goutam Sutradhar, setting the tone for a powerful convergence of educational leaders, industry experts, and policymakers.
Two major facilities were also inaugurated during the event. A Technology–Business Incubation Centre, spearheaded by Prof. G. Sutradhar, Prof. Amaresh Kumar, and Prof. M.K. Sinha, was unveiled with support from a Rs 5-crore grant from the Ministry of MSME. Alongside, a state-of-the-art Central Research Facility built at a cost of Rs 20 crore was launched to accelerate advanced scientific research.
The inaugural session brought together an impressive lineup of dignitaries, including Prof. Sukumar Mishra, Director, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad; Prof. Arvind Choubey, Director, NIT Durgapur; and Prof. V.M.S.R. Murty, Director, IIEST Shibpur. Senior industrialist R.K. Behra, Chairman of RSB Global, also joined the proceedings, reinforcing the shared commitment to narrowing the gap between research and real-world industrial needs—an essential step towards India’s technological self-reliance.
Centred on four strategic pillars, IAC 2025 seeks to strengthen MSME–academia linkages, channel advanced research into industrial problem-solving, evolve industry-ready academic programmes, and foster startup growth through mentorship and funding support.
The inaugural day witnessed a series of high-impact panel discussions on Startup and Innovation, MSME–Academia Synergy, Skill Development, and Entrepreneurship. Experts – Vijay K. Saini of HLE Glasscoat, Dr. Mou Sen from the Directorate of MSME (West Bengal), Soumen Ghosh of BITM Kolkata, Dr. Anupam Gayen of NSIC Kolkata, Dr. Devi Prasad Dash, and senior HR and industry leaders from Tata Motors, RSB Transmissions, Tata Cummins, and Automotive Axles shared their insights. Prof. Vinayak Tripathi of XLRI Jamshedpur offered an academic lens on strengthening industry-readiness and future skills.
The conclave also celebrated women’s leadership with the inauguration of a special Women’s Forum titled Celebrating Leadership Beyond the Glass Ceiling. Padma Shri Sudha Varghese, founder of Naari Gunjan, delivered a powerful address emphasizing women’s contributions as vital to achieving the national vision of Viksit Bharat.
Supported by a strong consortium of industry sponsors—Tata Steel, R.K. Forgings, RSB Transmissions (India), Greenco Energy, Jharkhand Grind Chem, Elsevier, AIMIL Ltd., Phillips Machine Tools, SSS Industries, among others—IAC 2025 stands positioned to emerge as a catalyst for innovation-led growth.
