Nagpur: The Indian Council for Technical Research and Development (ICTRD), in collaboration with the PG Department of Education, Rashtrasant Tukadoji  Maharaj Nagpur University, organized a Round Table Forum on the theme “Emerging India: The Role of Nagpur in Achieving Viksit Bharat 2047” at the Department of Education, Law College Campus, Nagpur, Maharashtra. The event was inaugurated by Neeta Rajendra Thakare,
Mayor of Nagpur.

The discussion brought together more than 40 experts from diverse sectors including startups, academia, healthcare, governance, and industry. Addressing the forum, Dr. Ketan Mohitkar, Member Secretary of ICTRD, underscored the importance of citizen engagement and structured innovation platforms in shaping sustainable development. He emphasized ICTRD’s commitment to strengthening participatory governance by identifying key civic challenges in collaboration with the Municipal Corporation and enabling citizens to co-create practical
solutions.

He noted that ICTRD’s innovation initiatives, including the Citizen Hackathon, have encouraged students, professionals, and senior citizens to actively contribute ideas, presentations, and prototypes aimed at addressing real-world urban challenges. According to him, such participation reflects a growing shift toward collaborative development and inclusive innovation.

Reflecting on ICTRD’s role during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Mohitkar highlighted its support to startups and its contribution in ensuring the smooth conduct of university examinations through coordinated academic and digital support systems, thereby maintaining continuity in education during a period of disruption.

He further highlighted the Innovators Meet initiative, which brought together a large community of innovators and entrepreneurs for direct engagement with the Chief Minister, strengthening the link between grassroots innovation and policy-level decision-making and accelerating innovation adoption across sectors.
Dr. Mohitkar also emphasized ICTRD’s institutional strength, including its self-sustaining Secretariat model operating without government funding and its nationwide network of 350

experts contributing across multiple domains. He shared the vision of establishing a large- scale Innovation Campus along the Amravati Highway to promote research, incubation, and startup development.

Concluding his address, Dr. Ketan Mohitkar reiterated that Nagpur has the potential to emerge as a strong innovation hub within the national development framework. He emphasized that structured collaboration, active citizen participation, and long-term strategic planning are essential to achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, where Tier-II cities play a transformative role in India’s growth story. The event was graced by several distinguished dignitaries, including Padma Shri awardee and former Rajya Sabha Member Vikas Mahatme; Ashish Sasankar, Chairman of ICTRD; former Pro-Vice-Chancellor Rajesh Gadewar; Rajashri Vaishnav, Dean at RTM Nagpur University; Sunanda Bajaj, Assistant Commissioner, District Skill Development; Pallavi Dhatrak, Deputy Director of Sports and Youth Services; Shivaji Dhawad from IIM Nagpur; and Vivekanand Aoti from Nagpur Police, all of whom contributed
valuable insights to the discussion.