Beyond the Classroom: ASSOCHAM Summit Calls for Industry-Driven Innovation and Tech-Ready Talent to Power Economic Growth

Bhubaneswar : The two-day O-LEAD 2026 – Odisha: The Global Growth Hub, organised by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), concluded in Bhubaneswar on Saturday with a strong call for industry-led skill development, responsible artificial intelligence (AI), collaborative research and the commercialisation of innovation to accelerate Odishas economic growth.

The valedictory session at Hotel Swosti Premium brought together policymakers, industry leaders, technology experts and representatives from academia to deliberate on the role of AI in education, the future of jobs, international cooperation and the need to build a robust innovation ecosystem connecting industry, startups and educational institutions.

Shri Bhupendra Singh Poonia, IAS, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Skill Development and Technical Education Department, Government of Odisha, emphasised that early skill development and education are essential to preparing young people for emerging employment opportunities. He called for students to acquire relevant skills at an early stage so that they can secure productive employment without being compelled to migrate to metropolitan cities for low-paying jobs.

Industry must take the lead in skill development and institutional management. Research and development should move beyond academic laboratories, with industry playing a central role in innovation and commercialisation, Poonia said, citing the semiconductor sector as an example of how research and industrial application can work together. He stressed the need to move beyond limited partnerships towards a model in which industry takes ownership of execution and contributes directly to economic growth.

Dr Andrew Fleming, British Deputy High Commissioner for East and North East India, highlighted the importance of the India-UK Shared Vision 2035, particularly its emphasis on education, skills and artificial intelligence. On his 20th visit to Bhubaneswar, he underlined how India’s vast talent pool and scale could complement the UK’s world-class universities, research capabilities and AI ecosystem.

He said international partnerships were essential because no single country had all the answers to the challenges and opportunities presented by AI. The focus, he noted, should be on co-creation rather than merely exchanging knowledge, with opportunities for joint AI research, curriculum development, teacher training and collaborative governance. Such partnerships could help connect institutions and learners in Odisha with global knowledge networks and ensure that technological innovation addresses local community needs.

Shri Sujeet Kumar, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, highlighted India’s potential to use AI to expand access to education and improve learning outcomes. He pointed to the country’s educational models, startup ecosystem and practical applications of AI that are helping take education to a wider population.

Referring to the India AI Impact Summit and the New Delhi Declaration, he emphasised responsible AI, capacity building and trust-based governance. With a significant proportion of India’s population comprising young people, he said AI could play an important role in educating children and youth. He also highlighted the importance of policy support, infrastructure and the India AI Mission in encouraging innovation across sectors, including education, healthcare, agriculture and disaster management.

Dr Rabinarayan Behera, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, spoke about AI’s impact on employment and the importance of addressing language diversity in developing and deploying AI technologies. He highlighted the potential of AI to support senior citizens, women, children and persons with disabilities, stressing that technology should be inclusive and accessible to all sections of society. He also called for the integration of AI into students’ curricula to prepare them for a rapidly changing technological landscape.

In the vote of thanks, Parminder Jeet Kaur, Senior Director and Head, States and UTs, ASSOCHAM, highlighted the value of the discussions and the importance of translating ideas into practical outcomes. She emphasised product innovation, stronger industry ownership and greater collaboration among industry, academia and startups.

She also underscored the importance of building a dense and connected innovation ecosystem, where industry identifies real-world challenges and invites academic institutions and startups to develop solutions through a process of reverse pitching. Such an approach, she noted, would help position startups as innovation partners rather than merely vendors, bridge skill gaps and generate solutions that respond to the needs of communities and businesses.

The discussions reinforced the central message of O-LEAD 2026: Odisha’s ambition to emerge as a global growth hub will depend on building future-ready skills, strengthening industry-academia partnerships, accelerating research commercialisation and using emerging technologies responsibly to create wider economic and social opportunities.

The two-day conclave focused on scaling industries and startups, bridging industry and academia, aligning education with Industry 4.0, developing future-ready talent and fostering AI-led innovation. It brought together representatives from government, industry, startups, universities and research institutions to explore practical ways to strengthen Odisha’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Other dignitaries present were Mr Pankaj Lochan Mohanty, Chairman, Odisha State Development Council, ASSOCHAM and CMD, MGM Group; Dr Alexzandar Das, Chairman, Odisha State Education Council, ASSOCHAM, and Chairman, Kalinga Group of Institutions; Dr Prabodh Mohanty, Co-Chair, Odisha State Development Council, ASSOCHAM, and MD, SNM Group, Shri Asit Tripathy, IAS (Retd.), Adviser, ASSOCHAM Odisha State Development Council and former Chief Secretary, Government of Odisha & Mr Abanis Nayak, Chairman, Odisha State Startup Council, ASSOCHAM, Founder, ZTOP IoT Solutions.