Education can’t progress without tech & innovation, says Satyam Roychowdhury

Kolkata: Education cannot progress without technology and innovation, said Satyam Roychowdhury at the ICC Innovation Conclave on Friday, cautioning that institutions that fail to adapt will fall behind in a world where ideas and digital tools are changing everyday.

Roychowdhury, Chairman of the ICC National Expert Committee on Higher Education & Training and Chancellor of Sister Nivedita University, said the pace of technological change demands that innovation be embedded from the earliest stages of learning.

“Without innovation and technology, we cannot move ahead. As ideas and tools change every day, education must keep pace. Institutions, teachers, students and technologists all need to adapt, because without adaptation no one can sustain or succeed,” he said. He added that India’s demographic advantage will weaken unless the education system responds to emerging skill requirements, noting that 65 per cent of the country’s population is under 35 and nearly 300 million students are in school and higher education, yet industry continues to report a 30 per cent skills mismatch in areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics, cybersecurity and sustainability.

The Conclave, hosted by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC), brought together government leaders, academic heads and national innovation experts to discuss the future of India’s education and skills ecosystem. Binod Kumar, Principal Secretary of the state School Education and Higher Education department, said West Bengal has expanded its school education budget from Rs 829 crore in 2011 to more than Rs 10,000 crore in 2024–25, enabling modernisation and technology upgrades across the system. He said the reforms are aligned with the State Education Policy, which sets a 2035 vision for West Bengal to become a leader in innovation.

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) Director Deepak Bagla said AIM is set to receive a Guinness World Records recognition for organising the world’s largest hackathon, with 3,50,086 schools, 10,02,860 teachers and 25,91,112 students registered, and 2,93,831 ideas submitted till Thursday. He said AIM operates 10,000 innovation labs, plans to expand to 50,000 more schools, and supports 74 incubators, including several in smaller towns producing transformative “social unicorns”.

Also speaking at the event were Jadavpur University Vice-Chancellor and President of the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education, Chiranjib Bhattacharya, and Anupam Basu, Raja Ramanna Chair Professor at Jadavpur University and Honorary Professor at Sister Nivedita University.