Industry leaders interact with students at technology institute
The Statesman | 23 August 2025
Academy of Technology (AOT) celebrated its Foundation Day on Friday at its Adisaptagram campus, Hooghly. The day-long event brought together eminent academicians, industry leaders, alumni, students and faculty members to commemorate the institute’s glorious journey and reflect its future goals and growth.
The inaugural session included the inauguration of the tribute corner, ceremonial lamp lighting and a cultural curtain-raiser featuring song and dance performances. Prof Dilip Bhattacharya, director, AOT, delivered the welcome address. Prof Anindita Banerjee, chairman trustee & co-founder, AOT, there after shared memories and outlined future plans, setting the tone for the occasion. The programme featured “Voices Across Time-thoughts and memories from AOTians”, an inspiring session where distinguished alumni and faculty members shared their thoughts and experiences.
Among the speakers were Anand Prosad Bhakat (lead consultant, IBM India), Abhisomjit Guha (CEO, Sunny Engineers & Associates), Sambuddha Deb (advisor, AOT), Prof Baishakhi Bhattacharya and Prof Partha Pratim Das (professor, IIT Kharagpur). An interactive session “Reflections” with Prof Ravikumar Bhaskaran (Life fellow, IIT Kharagpur) provided deep insights into academia and research. This was followed by a session on entrepreneurship conducted by Prof Shuva Mandal (managing partner, Fox Mandal & Associates; legal advisor & professor of practice, AOT). The highlight of the day was the Foundation Day Lecture delivered by Prof. Prabuddha Ganguli (CEO, Vision-IPR) on the theme “Creativity to Creations for Community & Commerce”.
The afternoon session focused on industry–academia collaboration, where students showcased innovative prototype demonstrations and participated in micro-entrepreneurship booths, reflecting AOT’s emphasis on practical innovation and entrepreneurial mindset. A unique session: “Ask Me Anything” with the honourable Chairman Trustee, AOT and team encouraged open engagement with stakeholders. An exclusive quiz for AOT members brought a spirited conclusion to the celebration.