SKOCH Summit
1450 - 1540
EASE OF DOING BUSINESS
Moderator: Dr Gursharan Dhanjal, Vice Chairman, SKOCH Group
Mr Ballepu Kalyan Chakravarthy, Principal Secretary, Labour Welfare Department, Assam
Mr TP Rajesh, Commissioner of Handlooms & Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Handloom Weavers Co-operative Society Limited (CO-OPTEX), Tamil Nadu
Mr Narsimha Reddy EV, Managing Director, Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Ltd, Telangana
Mr Rabindranath Roy, Managing Director, The West Bengal State Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society Ltd (Tantuja), West Bengal
Mr Abhishek Dastidar, Consultant, Directorate of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, West Bengal
Dr Gursharan Dhanjal
Vice Chairman, SKOCH Group
Dr Gursharan Dhanjal, MA, M.Phil, PhD from Delhi University, an expert in development economics. He is Vice Chairman, SKOCH Group. He is also Editor of INCLUSION—a quarterly publication that focuses on inclusive growth related areas. He has led various research projects, impact assessments and field studies in MSMEs, women empowerment, entitlements, rights, sanitation, social inclusion, health, financial inclusion, e-governance and ICT for development that included traversing across the country, collecting citizen voices for over two decades now. A prolific writer, Dr Dhanjal has contributed over 200 columns in leading national dailies including The Hindustan Times, The Times of India, The Financial Express and The Pioneer. He has published research papers in several journals of repute in addition to authoring following widely acclaimed books: Tarapur: The Politics of Nuclear Age; and, Infrastructure and Governance. He was member of the Working Group on ICT in Higher Education constituted by Planning Commission for the 12th Five Year Plan.
Mr Ballepu Kalyan Chakravarthy
Principal Secretary, Labour Welfare Department, Assam
Mr TP Rajesh
Commissioner of Handlooms & Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Handloom Weavers Co-operative Society Limited (CO-OPTEX), Tamil Nadu
Mr Narsimha Reddy EV
Managing Director, Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Ltd, Telangana
Mr Rabindranath Roy
Managing Director, The West Bengal State Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society Ltd (Tantuja), West Bengal
Mr Abhishek Dastidar
Consultant, Directorate of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, West Bengal
1620 - 1710
INNOVATIONS IN SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Innovation is driving governance transformation in the 21st century, with a major push toward creativity, transparency, and accountability since 2014. India’s rapid adoption of emerging technologies like AI and machine learning creates an opportunity to use tech for inclusive development, not just entertainment. The panel focused on Ease of Doing Business (EODB) as a key enabler of economic growth, wealth creation, and investor confidence. 4 States highlighted reforms such as single-window systems, digitized approvals, decriminalization of compliances, and time-bound or deemed approvals. Assam emphasized IT-enabled labor reforms, welfare expansion, and land facilitation through initiatives like the Vasundhara project. Tamil Nadu stressed its strong manufacturing ecosystem, connectivity, skilled workforce, and the Business Facilitation Act with single-window clearances. Telangana showcased TS-iPASS, plug-and-play infrastructure, common pollution facilities, MSME integration, and a growing focus on cost of doing business. West Bengal highlighted Shilpa Sathi, district kiosks, Synergy camps, grievance apps, simplified inspections, and finance/technical clinics for MSMEs. A key takeaway was that beyond reforms and digitalization, officer mindset and reducing the overall cost of doing business will determine the next phase of progress.
Moderator: Dr Gursharan Dhanjal, Vice Chairman, SKOCH Group
Dr Srinivasan Ramasamy, Member Secretary, Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology
Mr Nitin V Sangwan, Director IT, Department of Science Technology, Gujarat
Dr Debajit Mahanta, Project Director, DBT-APSCS&T, Arunachal Pradesh State Council for Science and Technology
Mr Prafulla Kumar Mallick, Chief Executive, Odisha Space Applications Centre
Mr PLN Raju, Director, Assam State Space Application Centre
Dr Gursharan Dhanjal
Vice Chairman, SKOCH Group
Dr Gursharan Dhanjal, MA, M.Phil, PhD from Delhi University, an expert in development economics. He is Vice Chairman, SKOCH Group. He is also Editor of INCLUSION—a quarterly publication that focuses on inclusive growth related areas. He has led various research projects, impact assessments and field studies in MSMEs, women empowerment, entitlements, rights, sanitation, social inclusion, health, financial inclusion, e-governance and ICT for development that included traversing across the country, collecting citizen voices for over two decades now. A prolific writer, Dr Dhanjal has contributed over 200 columns in leading national dailies including The Hindustan Times, The Times of India, The Financial Express and The Pioneer. He has published research papers in several journals of repute in addition to authoring following widely acclaimed books: Tarapur: The Politics of Nuclear Age; and, Infrastructure and Governance. He was member of the Working Group on ICT in Higher Education constituted by Planning Commission for the 12th Five Year Plan.
Dr Srinivasan Ramasamy
Member Secretary, Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology
Mr Nitin V Sangwan
Director IT, Department of Science Technology, Gujarat
Dr Debajit Mahanta
Project Director, DBT-APSCS&T, Arunachal Pradesh State Council for Science and Technology
Mr Prafulla Kumar Mallick
Chief Executive, Odisha Space Applications Centre