IIT Kharagpur’s Impact RISE 2026 Conclave Concludes with Major Launches, MoUs & Impact Commitments
The inaugural Impact RISE Conclave, held on January 17-18, 2026, at the IIT KGP Research Park in Newtown, Kolkata, concluded with resounding success. Under the theme “Forging Futures: Engineering Social Change – Converging Capital, Innovation, and Action,” the two-day event brought together ministers, top government officials, PSU leaders, scientists, academics, impact investors, and NGOs to advance India’s sustainable development agenda through research, innovation, skilling, and entrepreneurship (RISE).
The conclave featured high-level plenary sessions, keynote addresses, thematic deep dives, impact leadership talks, policy discussions, a Sandbox ideation workshop, and multiple significant launches. It aligned closely with UN Sustainable Development Goals and national missions, focusing on sustainable rural development, health and sanitation, education and skills, clean energy, climate resilience, ecology, tribal affairs, mobility, CSR 2.0, local governance, and global sustainability frameworks. “The conclave establishes an annual nexus for outcome-driven, technology-enabled impact partnerships, translating science and technology into national solutions for India’s most pressing challenges,” said Prof. Suman Chakraborty, Director, IIT Kharagpur.
Key highlights and outcomes included the release of the IIT KGP Impact Portfolio, a comprehensive coffee table book outlining the vision, mission, and highlights of the Impact RISE initiative including select startups; the launch of the Impact RISE Impact Venture Fund to support scalable impact ventures; the Paani Bawni initiative launch along with book releases on water conservation; and the signing of MoUs with Texmaco Rail & Engineering Limited and Indian Chamber of Commerce to foster long-term collaborations.
Shri Sunil Kumar Gupta, IAS (Retd.), Chief – Strategy, Execution & Operations at IIT Kharagpur Research Park, reflected: “Our philosophy is simple yet powerful: Build in our labs, pilot on our campus, and extend solutions to the world – at scale, with accountability, and with purpose.”
The event also featured the launch of Sus10 initiatives from IIT Kharagpur, comprising 10 new startups, 10 certification programs in sustainability, and 10 campus development projects aimed at achieving a net-zero campus; the introduction of the “Catch Them Young” Youth Entrepreneurship Development Program offering annual internships to 500 undergraduates; a productive Sandbox workshop that yielded co-created blueprints for challenges like net-zero campus and sustainable villages; Dr. Neelima Alam on technology.
The event was attended by 45 distinguished guests including Hon’ble Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav, ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan, 51st Chief Justice Shri Sanjiv Khanna, Nuclear Scientist Dr. K. N. Vyas, Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Former Chairman and Director Shri. Gopal Singh, Coal India Limited (CIL), Former Dg & CEO, Dr. Bhaskar Chatterjee, Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), Shri. Pradeep Tripathi, Independent Director, Bharat Electronic Limited (BEL), Smt. Sreerupa Mitra Chaudhury, Government of Bengal and Dr. Neelima Alam (DST), alongside leaders from BEL, CIL, Pontaq VC, Caspian VC, and others. Prof. Surjya Pal Dean (R&D) and Prof. Abhijit Mukherjee (Associate Dean R&D) hosted the event. The Impact RISE Conclave marks a milestone in IIT Kharagpur’s Platinum Jubilee commitment to delivering measurable, inclusive societal transformation through innovation ecosystems.
