Event Overview & Highlights
The 21st FICCI Higher Education Summit took place on 8–9 October 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. This event served as a significant gathering for stakeholders in the higher education sector, focusing on contemporary challenges and opportunities within the field. Participants included educators, policymakers, and industry leaders who convened to explore innovative solutions and strategies aimed at enhancing the quality and accessibility of higher education in India. The summit featured a series of sessions that addressed key themes, including the integration of technology in education, the importance of research and development, and the role of international collaboration in fostering academic excellence. Through these discussions, the event aimed to promote dialogue and collaboration among various stakeholders, ultimately contributing to the advancement of higher education in the country.
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Key Speakers
Padma Vibhushan Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi
Former Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Science & Technology, and Home Affairs
Government of India, Senior BJP Leader
Shri Pralhad Joshi
Union Minister for Education, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and New and Renewable Energy
Government of India
Dr. R. Balasubramanian
Member
NITI Aayog
Shri Anand Rao Patil
Additional Secretary, Central Universities
Ministry of Education, Government of India
Prof. (Dr.) Anil Dattatraya Sahasrabudhe
Chairman- National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) & Chairman
National Board of Accreditation
Dr. K.M. Praphullachandra Sharma
Joint Secretary (International Cooperation)
Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Government of India
Prof. (Dr.) Indrani Bhaduri
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Head, PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development)
NCERT, Ministry of Education, Government of India
Dr. Vidya Yeravdekar
Chair, FICCI Higher Education Committee & Chancellor
Symbiosis International University
Knowledge Papers Released
From AI adoption to readiness: Preparing Indian higher education for the AI era
The October 2026 FICCI and EY-Parthenon report, “From AI adoption to readiness: Preparing Indian higher education for the AI era,” follows up the 2025 baseline study and argues that India’s campuses have moved from experimenting with AI to living with it, without institutions keeping pace. Drawing on interviews and focus groups across more than 23 institutions and over 61 stakeholder interactions, plus secondary research, it finds that student adoption is nearly universal: about 23% of students use AI daily, 43% several times a week, and only 1% never. Most of that use sits in a “gray zone” where policies are ...