Indo-British Scholars’ Association (IBSA) organised a panel discussion on ‘India@75: Agenda for Change’ in association with Tata Steel at The Bengal Club on the eve of India’s Independence Day.
Indo-British Scholars’ Association (IBSA) is an association of individuals and corporates with connection to the United Kingdom and who have benefitted from a UK education and training or have worked there.
The panel discussion was held considering the importance of it at a time when India is the host for the G20 Summit.
Eminent industry leaders from corporate, academics, law and foreign policy came together for the panel discussion that dealt with topics like India’s economic and industrial environment. The panel discussion also shifted the spotlight on the pace of reforms in India’s education sector and the urgent need for employment generation and upskilling.
The panellists also discussed the several challenges posed by urbanisation and environmental pollution, the state of regulation and justice delivery and India’s place in the world order and aspirations of being an economic power.
The panellists were Anuradha Lohia, former vice-chancellor, Presidency University; Krishnan Srinivasan, former foreign secretary and deputy secretary general of the Commonwealth; Nirmalya Kumar, professor of marketing, Singapore Management University; Shiv Siddhant Kaul, managing director, Nicco Engineering Services Ltd. and honorary consul general, Republic of Korea, Kolkata, and Vikramjit Banerjee, senior advocate practising at the Supreme Court of India.
A special address by Alex Ellis, British high commissioner to India was conveyed through video. Suman Mukerjee, director general, Bhawanipur Education Society College, moderated the panel discussion.
Subrata Paul, president, Indo-British Scholars’ Association, said: “Indo-British Scholars’ Association is delighted to host a panel discussion on ‘India@75: Agenda for Change’. We have luminaries from the field of corporate, diplomatic services, academic and law who talked and debated on India’s growth story and its challenges. We are delighted to have a special address by Alex Ellis, British high commissioner to India. India is poised to grow exponentially in the coming decade. This growth presents a strain on resources, infrastructure, healthcare and education. One of the challenges would be to achieve sustainable and equitable growth. We would have to focus on creating employment opportunities and skilling workforce to sustain economic growth. Panel will focus on these challenges and discuss the right strategies to continue the impressive growth trajectory. It is a country which is at the cusp of a changeover from an under-resourced to a full-fledged developed nation.”
IBSA was inaugurated on the sidelines of the Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII) Partnership Summit in January 1997 by the then UK Prime Minister John Major at the behest of the British Council.
Ever since its inception, IBSA has been promoting enduring relations between India and the UK through education, arts, culture, science and technology.
