Pan IIT Alumni Meet To Bring IIT Stars at IIT Delhi on June 20: A ZT Curtain Raiser 

Om Birla to inaugurate event; industry leaders, senior bureaucrats, police officials and IIT alumni to discuss innovation, leadership and Viksit Bharat

New Delhi: Pan IIT Alumni India will organise the launch of a new book chronicling the evolution and global impact of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) at the Lecture Hall Complex of IIT Delhi on Saturday, June 20.

The book, “IIT – The Story of India’s Most Prestigious Educational Ecosystem”, authored by Pan IIT Alumni India Chairman and Indian Revenue Service officer Prabhat Kumar, will be formally released during a high-profile event that will bring together policymakers, academicians, industry leaders, entrepreneurs and distinguished IIT alumni.

The programme is scheduled to commence at 4:30 pm with the arrival of guests and welcome refreshments, followed by a welcome address from Pan IIT Alumni India General Secretary Ashok Kumar.

Director of IIT Kharagpur, Prof. Suman Chakraborty, will deliver a special address highlighting the contribution of IITs to India’s scientific and technological advancement.

The inaugural session will also feature keynote addresses by Arjun Malhotra, co-founder of HCL and an alumnus of IIT Kharagpur, who is expected to speak on the transformative role played by IIT graduates in building India’s information technology ecosystem.

Former Director General of Police of Uttarakhand and IIT Delhi alumnus Ashok Kumar, IPS, will deliver a keynote address focusing on leadership, public service and the role of technology-driven institutions in nation building.

Special Commissioner of Police (Crime), Delhi Police, Devesh Srivastava, IPS, is scheduled to share insights on emerging security challenges and the growing importance of technology in modern policing and crime prevention.

Sachin Sharma, Publisher at HarperCollins India, will address the gathering on the significance of documenting institutional histories and preserving India’s intellectual and educational heritage.

The ceremonial lighting of the lamp will be followed by a welcome address from Prabhat Kumar, who will outline the vision behind the Pan IIT Book Club initiative and the objectives of documenting the IIT ecosystem.

A keynote address will then be delivered by Gautam Kumra, Chairman of McKinsey Asia Pacific and an IIT Delhi alumnus of the 1991 batch, who is expected to discuss the contribution of IIT graduates in shaping global business leadership and India’s growth trajectory.

Abhay Shrivastava, Member (Administration) of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), will speak on governance, public institutions and opportunities for professionals in contributing to India’s development agenda.

Rajendra Kumar, IAS, Secretary in the Department of Border Management, Ministry of Home Affairs, will deliver a special address focusing on governance, national security and the strategic role of technology and innovation.

The inaugural address of the event will be delivered by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at 5:45 pm.

At 6 pm, Pan IIT Alumni India will formally launch its Book Club and unveil the inaugural publication, “IIT – The Story of India’s Most Prestigious Educational Ecosystem.” Dignitaries attending the event will also be felicitated by office bearers of Pan IIT Alumni India.

A distinguished alumni leadership panel discussion titled “Celebrating the IIT Legacy, Shaping the Future of Viksit Bharat” will begin at 6:20 pm. The discussion will be moderated by Tanya Singhal, India Head of the Global Energy Alliance, and will feature Ravi Shankar, founder of Decision Point; Madhur Singhal, founder of Praxis; Neeraj Kumar, founder of PeakMind.in; and Kapil Makhija, founder of Unicommerce. The panel is expected to deliberate on innovation, entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, start-up ecosystems and the contribution of IIT alumni towards achieving the vision of a developed India.

The event will conclude with a fireside conversation at 7 pm between Prabhat Kumar and Marya Shakil, Managing Editor of India Today, followed by an audience interaction session, book signing ceremony and networking reception.

Published by HarperCollins India, the book traces the journey of the IIT system from the establishment of IIT Kharagpur in 1951 on the site of the former Hijli Detention Camp to the emergence of IIT-led start-ups, global corporate leaders and India’s growing ambitions in frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence.

A detailed report on the proceedings of the event will follow in Ziraat Times after the programme on June 20.