The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), in association with Banaras Hindu University (BHU), is hosting a two-day national summit titled “Kashi Samvaad 2025: Towards Viksit Bharat.” Commencing tomorrow at the Malaviya Mulya Anushilan Kendra on the BHU campus, the gathering is designed to catalyze cross-sectoral dialogue essential for achieving India’s ambitious vision of becoming a developed nation by 2047. The focus of the deliberations is on achieving sustainable, equitable, and inclusive growth.
The summit will be inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilizers, Anupriya Patel, and UP Minister of State (Independent Charge), Social Welfare and SC/ST Welfare, Asim Arun. The event brings together a diverse array of stakeholders, including policymakers, senior industry leaders, academics, and social sector experts, to jointly outline a roadmap for social development driven by collaborative innovation.
Discussions at Kashi Samvaad are explicitly aligned with the national developmental agenda, particularly by addressing the four key pillars identified for the Viksit Bharat initiative: youth, the poor, women, and farmers. The summit’s location in Varanasi is strategic, reflecting the city’s role in India’s ongoing development renaissance. A significant segment of the dialogue will be dedicated to deepening rural prosperity, a critical necessity considering that statistics indicate over 70% of Uttar Pradesh’s population resides in rural areas.
This initiative is consistent with CII’s 2025-26 theme, which is centered on “Accelerating Competitiveness: Globalisation, Inclusivity, Sustainability, Trust.” The summit will feature sessions that examine high-impact areas such as the application of technology in healthcare, the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices, and the establishment of skill development hubs. These initiatives are designed to align educational outcomes with future-market needs, focusing on high-growth sectors like digital technology and green jobs.
The two-day program features insights from senior representatives of various prominent organizations, including UNICEF, Tata Trusts, IBM, HP Inc, Blue Star Ltd, and faculty from IIT-BHU. These participants will explore models for effective Public-Private Partnerships that integrate local knowledge to foster grassroots participation. The collective aim is to co-create solutions that are contextually relevant for the region, scalable for national implementation, and capable of driving tangible improvements in the quality of life, thereby directly supporting the foundational goals of a developed India.
