SAMBALPUR: India’s G20 Sherpa and former CEO of NITI Aayog Amitabh Kant addressed students and faculty members of IIM-Sambalpur and Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT), Burla here on Tuesday.
During his interaction, Kant spoke about India’s roadmap to becoming a $30 trillion economy under the Viksit Bharat vision, stressing that the country must grow its GDP by nine per cent, per capita income by eight per cent and manufacturing output by 16 per cent.
Emphasising the need for institutions like IIMs and IITs to drive the nation’s economic transformation, he said premier institutes must anchor innovation, skill-building and employment to achieve this scale of growth.
Appreciating the role of IIM-Sambalpur, Kant urged the faculty members to mentor students in ways that prepare them for impactful roles in national development. He praised the sustainable and innovative architecture of the campus, calling it a model not just for Odisha, but the entire country.
“IIM Sambalpur has a fascinating, sustainable infrastructure. I’ve visited most IIMs and IITs, but this campus stands out,” he said and urged students and faculty members to gear up for global challenges like artificial intelligence and quantum computing.
Delivering a talk at VSSUT, Kant provided insights from his pioneering roles in national campaigns like Incredible India and Atithi Devo Bhava, and emphasised the transformative power of initiatives such as Make in India and Startup India.
Earlier in the day, Kant started his two-day Sambalpur tour by visiting the Samaleswari temple in the city. He was accompanied by district collector Siddheshwar Baliram Bondar.