Kolkata, March 9 IIT Kharagpur on Monday honored its distinguished alumnus and well-known entrepreneur Purnendu Chatterjee, and announced that he would be inducted into the institute's "Alumni Hall of Fame" in 2026 in recognition of his contributions to the global industry, research, and entrepreneurship.
Chatterjee, the founder and chairman of The Chatterjee Group (TCG), visited the institute during its Platinum Jubilee year and interacted with its leadership, faculty, staff, and students.
Welcoming him, institute director Suman Chakraborty highlighted the importance of alumni engagement in strengthening the institute's global impact.
During the event, Chakraborty announced that Chatterjee would be inducted into the IIT Kharagpur Alumni Hall of Fame (2026).
The director also felicitated Chatterjee for his achievements and his contributions to innovation and enterprise.
Chatterjee, who graduated from IIT Kharagpur in Mechanical Engineering in 1971 and was a resident of Azad Hall hostel building on the campus, said the institute had played a transformative role in shaping generations of leaders and innovators.
In his address, he emphasized the need to translate deep scientific knowledge into real-world solutions and said institutions like IIT Kharagpur should build a "virtuous cycle" that moves from knowledge to wealth and back to knowledge.
He also proposed an ambitious 10-year strategic partnership between IIT Kharagpur and TCG CREST to pursue joint initiatives in emerging areas such as intelligent energy storage systems, AI-integrated cancer and health translation, quantum technologies, neuroscience, and sustainable food systems.
The proposed collaboration would also aim to strengthen global research partnerships and expand innovation opportunities for students, he said.
The programme was attended by several faculty members, including Professors Rintu Banerjee, Siddhartha Mukhopadhyay, and Puneet Kumar Patra, among others.